Four-star center Arafan Diane recently narrowed his recruitment to 12 schools, with UVa making the cut.
CavsCorner caught up with the nation’s No. 18 overall prospect to talk about the Wahoos, what’s clicking, and where things stand in his recruitment.
“I was one of the first prospects to get an offer from the new staff at Virginia this summer,” Diane explained. “I really started knowing a lot about that staff when they were at Utah State, so I have known them for a long time.
“When the staff was at VCU, they talked to me a lot,” he added, “so now they are just really doing the same thing at Virginia.”
That consistency has also shaped Diane’s relationship with head coach Ryan Odom.
“It has been fun seeing him do so well at Utah State and then VCU, so now it is time for him to do really well at Virginia,” Diane said. “He has been watching me for a while now and seems to always have something to tell me to try and improve my game.
“He keeps up with me a lo,t and I know he is going to come and visit me at my school this fall,” the Iowa Prep United standout said. “I am also looking forward to setting up an official visit to Virginia this fall.”
The message from UVa
UVa’s message has centered on how Diane could fit in the system that Odom and Co. plan to use in Charlottesville.
“We are starting to talk more and more about how I could potentially fit in the system,” he explained, “but they love how I can impact the game around the rim. They have been sending me different video clips about how I could potentially prepare for their system if I were to go there.”
Coming off his strongest summer thus far, Diane feels his game has taken a big step forward.
“My summer went really well,” he said. “It was my best summer since I have been playing basketball. I averaged a double-double pretty much throughout the entire summer. I gained a lot of interest from a lot of schools, which is why I had to finally cut my list to 12 schools. I am excited to start going on all my official visits.”
What he’s looking for
When it comes to choosing a program, the 7-foot, 280 pounder said he knows exactly what he’s looking for in a future home.
“I really just want to make sure it’s a good situation for me,” Diane said. “I want to make sure the program I go to has a good plan for me and that they use players like me the way I want to be used.
“I also want to go to a place that has a chance to win a national championship,” he added, “because that’s the ultimate goal, to win a national championship. Going to a place that has a family environment is also important.”
Diane—who is down to Arkanas, Georgia Tech, Houston, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Oregon, Purdue, UConn, Virginia, and Washington—said that he plans on making his college decision on his birthday, Nov. 9.