Brad Underwood Scouts Nation's No. 1 Center and Key Illini Target

Illinois coach Brad Underwood wasted no time taking advantage of this month's first live recruiting period (July 10-13), as he was in person to scout an important Illini target on Thursday – the first day coaches are allowed to by NCAA rules.

The figure drawing Underwood’s attention, along with that of a handful of other high-major coaches, is Arafan Diane, a 7-foot-1 center from Iowa in the class of 2026.

According to Joe Tipton of On3, Underwood was joined on the sidelines by John Calipari (Arkansas), Kelvin Sampson (Houston), Darian DeVries (Indiana) and Tom Izzo (Michigan State) to watch Diane compete.

Diane, who is the No. 15 recruit in the country and the top-rated center according to 247Sports, holds at least 20 offers thus far, including from Illinois – which offered Diane back in late June.

At 7-foot-1, Diane offers exceptional size and length, but what sets him apart is his combination of strength (260 pounds) and agility. He also has soft touch around the rim and has even shown some ability to extend his range out to the three-point arc.