UVA Basketball: Three 2026 Recruits That Ryan Odom Needs to Land

Ryan Odom and his staff are looking to make plenty of noise in the class of 2026, and while they have yet to get a commitment, they are in the hunt for plenty of top prospects this cycle. While landing big transfer classes is never a bad thing, you still have to show that you can land and develop high-level recruits if you want to win at the highest level, which is what UVA should be doing.

With that in mind, here are three 2026 prospects that Odom and his staff need to land this cycle.

1. Four-Star Center Arafan Diane

Diane is one of the best prospects in the nation and could have an instant impact at the next level. After originally playing in Guinea in West Africa, Diane plays Iowa United Prep in Norwalk, IA and he is currently the No. 1 center prospect in the country according to 247Sports. The 7'1 260 LBS center has loads of defensive potential and could be just what Odom needs in the middle of his team. Diane is of course going to be highly sought after and already has offers from Arizona, Arizona, Arkansas, BYU, Creighton, Florida, Houston, Miami, Purdue, and UConn, among others. The offers have been flying in for Diane and this is going to be a tough battle to win, but if Odom could pull this off, it could be a sign of things to come in Charlottesville.

2. Four-Star SF Billy White III

This past week, On3 Sports reporter Joe Tipton reported that UVA is going to host four-star forward Billy White III, who plays at Veterans Memorial High School in Texas. White will be in for an official visit, and it will be a great opportunity for Odom and his staff to make an impression on the young recruit.