Illinois Basketball Offers Versatile 2026 Big Man from Arizona

A four-star recruit, Dioum is listed as the No. 140 prospect in the class of 2026 and the 10th-best player in the state of Arizona, according to 247Sports. Dioum has a solid face-up midrange jumper, along with a respectable outside shot, but is also quite gets things done around the basket.

No single aspect of Dioum's game stands head and shoulders above the others, but when you excel in every area, there's no higher compliment. Dioum has the size and athleticism to be a constant lob threat from the dunker spot, but he can also put the ball on the floor from the wing.

It's impossible to know how, or even from where, Underwood would deploy a player with such a versatile skills set. Perhaps he would be comparable to a Coleman Hawkins, although Hawkins was likely ahead of Dioum as a shooter at this age. Similar to Hawkins, though, Dioum is a game-altering defender – which was evident during a Sunday morning game at Peach Jam when he rejected four shots.

A rising senior, Dioum currently has just 10 offers – including those from other notable high-major schools in Missouri, Ole Miss, Syracuse and Georgia. Given its ability to develop bigs – and the program’s overall pedigree – Illinois has a chance to quickly leapfrog a few of the schools that may have entered the race for Dioum earlier.

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