Jun 25, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Connecticut Huskies mens basketball head coach Dan Hurley looks on at the table of Liam McNeeley in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Top Recruiting Names to Watch for Dan Hurley, UConn Huskies

Originally posted on UConn Huskies on SI
By Evan Dammarell | Last updated Jul 10, 2025 10:32 AM ET

Although the UConn Huskies aren't playing right now, the grind never stops for Dan Hurley and his coaching staff. After spending time in Switzerland to watch Eric Reibe and Jacob Furphy at FIFA U19 World Cup, Hurley and his staff are hitting the road to zero in on several Class of 2026 targets.

According to the Connecticut Insider, assistant coach Luke Murray shared that the Huskies are targeting prospets who can, "Come in and make a major impact right away." When breaking it down through that lens, several prospects come to mind that would make perfect sense for UConn.

One of the first names that comes to mind is four-star guard Junior County. He plays high school ball at Wasatch Academy in Mount Pleasant, Utah, and competes on the AAU circuit with the Utah Prospects in the Nike EYBL.

County has stood out this summer, averaging 13.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game. A strong two-way player, he uses his size to score efficiently and finish over smaller defenders, something that the Huskies would love to add to their rotation.

Another standout is Arafan Diane, one of the top high school basketball players in the country. The 7-foot-1 senior from Iowa United Prep is still developing his skills, but he’s physical, agile, and plays with impressive energy.

arafan diane ('26 4*) processes the floor impressively well for a true 7ft, 250+ lb center. can pass to cutters, kick out of doubles in the post, find shooters in transition

ridiculously talented and physically dominant player, love watching him play. super super underrated pic.twitter.com/FTOZWxJtJa
— ben pfeifer (@bjpf_) May 26, 2025

Competing for Iowa United on the Adidas 3SSB Circuit this spring, Diane has averaged 16.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game. His strong performances have skyrocketed him up the rankings. He’s now the No. 23 overall prospect and the No. 1 center in the 247Sports Top 150 for the Class of 2026, after being ranked in the 80s just a few months ago.

Finally, there's Cole Cloer, a 6-foot-7 scorer with UConn in his final eight schools. He's a solid straight-line athlete with good length and a smooth pull-up jumper. While his three-point balance is inconsistent, his shooting form is clean. Cloer doesn’t attack the rim often in the half-court but can finish above it on lobs. He’s still developing his handle and lateral quickness but thrives when getting to his spots in one or two dribbles.

Clearly, there are options available to Hurley and the Huskies to look at this summer. However, if they're able to land a high-upside, immediate impact player like County, Diane, or Cloer, then Hurley will have no problem continuing to build UConn into a blueblood dynasty.

This article first appeared on UConn Huskies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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