Oct 25, 2024; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self during the second quarter against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

Bill Self Sends Kansas Coaches to Evaluate Highly-Ranked 2026 Center

Originally posted on Kansas Jayhawks on SI
By Joshua Schulman | Last updated Jul 10, 2025 6:14 PM ET

The Kansas Jayhawks are beginning to heavily pursue several players in the 2026 recruiting class.

In the early slate of games in the U17 Adidas 3SSB Championship on Thursday, Arafan Diane and Iowa United took on Latrell Almond and Team Loaded.

According to ESPN's Jeff Borzello, unspecified assistants from KU attended the event alongside coaching legends like Tom Izzo, John Calipari, and Kelvin Sampson.

Early matchup @3SSBCircuit featuring Arafan Diane and Latrell Almond drawing a good crowd of coaches: John Calipari, Darian DeVries, Tom Izzo, Kelvin Sampson, Will Wade, Brad Underwood, Steve Lutz, assistants from Arizona, Kansas, Creighton, Kansas State, Tennessee and others.
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) July 10, 2025

While the Jayhawks have never been connected to Allmond before, they have shown previous interest in Diane.

Bill Self and several other top programs extended a scholarship offer to him in June after an impressive showing at the 2025 NBPA Top 100.

According to 247 Sports rankings, the rising senior at Iowa United Prep is a 4-star prospect and the No. 1 center in the 2026 graduating year.

At 7-foot-1, 260 pounds, Diane is a physically imposing big man who uses his size and length to dominate around the basket.

In addition to his exceptional play on the AAU circuit, Diane competed for the U17 Guinean National Team in 2024 and averaged a double-double.

On another note, Allmond may have put himself on KU's radar if he wasn't already. He posted 17 points and eight rebounds in a 78-57 victory, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers.

The U17 championship runs through July 13 in Rock Hill, South Carolina, so expect Kansas’ coaching staff to stay active in scouting potential recruits.

This article first appeared on Kansas Jayhawks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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