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Iowa Hawkeyes Make Exciting Offer to Massive 7-foot-1 Center
Ben McCollum, Iowa's new head men's basketball coach, speaks during his introductory press conference Tuesday, March 25, 2025 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Iowa Hawkeyes Make Exciting Offer to Massive 7-foot-1 Center

Originally posted on Iowa Hawkeyes on SI
By Matthew Schmidt  |  Last updated Jun 16, 2025 1:30 PM ET

Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Ben McCollum has certainly had his work cut out for him this offseason, as he saw Iowa lose most of its roster to the transfer portal and also watched multiple recruits decommit after he took the job in the wake of Fran McCaffery's firing.

But true to form, McCollum has been tirelessly working to rebuild the program, bagging a bunch of players in the transfer portal while also hitting the pavement on the recruiting trail.

Well, the former Drake Bulldogs head coach may be closing in on a very exciting recruit, as Iowa just made an offer to 7-foot-1 center Arafan Diane, who is playing his high-school ball at Iowa United Prep.

A four-star prospect, Diane is the seventh-ranked center and 70th-ranked player in the country overall, via 247 Sports' composite rankings.

Obviously, this would represent a massive pickup for the Hawkeyes, who are not typically accustomed to landing the very best players in the nation.

Iowa may have the inside track here, though, thanks to the fact that Diane — a class of 2026 prospect — is an in-state talent, and staying close to home is frequently a factor for top recruits.

The Hawkeyes will be facing fierce competition for Diane, however, as the big man has also received offers from powerhouses like UConn, Florida, Arizona, Kansas and Purdue, among others.

The hope here is that Diane favors Iowa due to its proximity, but if the prestige factor ends up playing a bigger role for the Guinea native, the Hawkeyes may be out of luck.

Read More Iowa Hawkeyes Coverage


This article first appeared on Iowa Hawkeyes on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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