John Calipari, Arkansas to host big priority recruit for second time

The first two recruits who already hit campus were a couple of national Top 5-rated, 5-star guards in Caleb Holt (6-5, Prolific Prep in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., visited Arkansas the weekend of Aug. 29-31) followed by Brandon McCoy, Jr. (6-5, Sierra Canyon in Los Angeles, Calif., visited Arkansas the weekend of Sept. 5-7).

As for Toure, he had actually been on Arkansas campus' previously when in October 2024 he took an unofficial visit and attended basketball practice as well as the football Razorbacks' home game against LSU.

Arkansas assistant Chuck Martin along with Calipari and other Hog staffers have been courtside for most of Toure's spring-and-summer grassroots and high school scholastic events.

The fact that Calipari already has a commitment from 2026 5-star wing and in-state stud JaShawn "JJ" Andrews (6-6, Little Rock Christian Academy, ESPN national No. 12 / 5-star prospect, pledged to Calipari and Arkansas in May) does not raise concerns about loading up on too many players with similar positional value.

Just last season, true freshmen wings Karter Knox and Billy Richmond III — both 5-star recruits from the class of 2024 — were instrumental in helping drive the Hoop Hogs to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.

That put them a whisker away from advancing to the Elite Eight, and both benefitted with noticeable in-season jumps in their development and production while raising their NBA profiles and exposure.

Over a long career spanning more than four decades as a Division 1 head coach, Calipari has successfully recruited multiple players who are similar position-wise, and it's been a proven formula that translated to winning at a high level on the court while not detracting from individual players pursuing their NBA dreams.

Interestingly, Toure and Andrews teamed up not that long ago, playing on the same squad for multiple days during 5-on-5 competition at the prestigious NBPA Top 100 Camp in June in Orlando, Fla. Courtside evaluating their performances as teammates during that event were Calipari and his Arkansas coaching staff.

Toure is an explosive wing with a big-motor, a playmaker in both open court and halfcourt, and a locked-in competitor who was the top high school player in Connecticut in 2024-25 (he was named his state's Gatorade Player of the Year, as was Andrews last season). 

Toure averaged 25.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.3 steals per game while shooting 61.3% from the field, including a respectable 34.3% from 3, and 74.2% from the free throw line in '24-25. He was also honored with his second consecutive MaxPreps Connecticut Player of the Year award.

Toure starred on the Adidas 3SSB spring-and-summer grassroots circuit in 2025, averaging 15.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 2.6 "stocks" (steals and blocks as each averaged 1.3 in each of those two categories).

Playing for Guinea's junior national team in the 2024 FIBA U17 World Cup, averaging 23.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 57.4% from the field and 70.8% from the free throw line.

More recently, Martin was out to see Toure at Notre Dame high school in West Haven, Conn., last Wednesday, which as the first day of the NCAA's open recruiting period that runs through April 30, 2026.

Toure originally set to be paired with another Arkansas visitor:

Toure's Arkansas OV (again, it's set for this weekend, Sept. 12-14) was originally planned to coincide with that of 2026 priority Hogs target and Guinea native Arafan Diane.

But as we first reported last week, Diane (7-0 forward-center, Iowa United Prep, national Top 10, 5-star prospect) moved his Arkansas OV out a week, going from Sept. 12-14 to Sept. 19-21.

Diane will once again share an Arkansas OV weekend with another 2026 Hogs priority target, but instead of Toure it will be national Top 5-rated, 5-star guard Jordan Smith, Jr. (6-2, Fairfax, Va.,), whose Sept. 19-21 OV to Arkansas was made public weeks ago.

Part of the original plan to have Toure and Diane on the same OV weekend was to include one of the Guinea junior national team coaches. But that coach had a scheduling conflict the weekend of Sept. 12-14, thus the switch for Diane to the following weekend to accommodate the Guinea junior national coach who plans to accompany him on his visit.

If the visits play out as currently set, the multiple official visits weekend of Sept. 19-21 (now the Smith Jr.-Diane combo) would mark a first for Calipari at Arkansas when you look at his class of 2025 recruiting-visit cycle last year and the way the current 2026 recruiting-visit cycle is mostly laid out. 

Additionally, Diane's guardian, Alex Victor, told us on Sunday that Arkansas coaches, likely to include Calipari, are planning to travel to Iowa United Prep on Tuesday, Sept. 9, to see Diane.

Diane averaged a double-double: 16.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game on the Adidas 3SSB circuit in 2025.

Martin was present for most of Diane's games on the Adidas circuit.

Then in late July, Diane shifted from Adidas 3SSB to the Made Hoops circuit for one weekend, and Calipari was out to see him compete in a handful of games during the final July live evaluation period in North Augusta, S.C.

With Calipari and Hogs assistant coaches watching courtside, Diane teamed up with both Toure and Andrews in 5-on-5 competitive play at the NBPA Top 100 camp in June in Orlando, Fla.

Victor has, on multiple occasions, commented on the on-court chemistry between Diane and Andrews as a positive.

Diane is massive in size while packing an impressive skill set as a perimeter shooter, interior scorer, and passer while providing an active motor while running end-to-end on the court.

Calipari extended a scholarship offer to Diane in July 2024. He traveled to Iowa United Prep in 2024 as well to visit with Diane.

Arkansas' current on campus prospect visits

- Sept. 26-28 Tay Kinney (6-2 guard, Overtime Elite, native of Newport, Ky., national No. 12, 5-star prospect) 

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