The big man hunt continues, as Illinois basketball eyes top center in 2026

It is tough to win at the college level, and for the Illinois basketball program, succeeding without a suitable big man makes things nearly impossible.

Entering the 2025-26 campaign, the Illini have a great frontcourt. Tomislav Ivisic returned to Champaign, which was a bit of a surprise. He also brought his brother along with him, former Arkansas big man, Zvonimir Ivisic.

These two, along with a few other solid frontcourt players, should be a huge part of the Illinois quad this upcoming season. But once the season concludes, who knows which players will return? There is a chance both Ivisic brothers are gone, and that leaves Illinois out to dry.

That is why there continues to be a full court press on landing a big man for 2026. On Friday, it was reported by Trent Markwith of Relentless Hoops that numerous coaches were in to see big man Arafan Diane. One of the coaches of note was Illinois’ head coach, Brad Underwood.

Not only would landing a big man be great for the Illini, but landing someone like Diane would be colossal for the program. He is a 7-foot-1, 260-pound center from Iowa United Prep in Iowa. Diane is rated as a four-star recruit and ranked as the No. 15 player in the class of 2026. He is also the No. 1 center in the country and the best player coming out of Iowa.

While there are a lot of coaches who are watching this kid, Illinois should be able to make some waves and at least compete for his commitment. We have a lot of firepower ready to use when needed.

Illinois basketball has the tools and resources to pull in a top talent like Arafan Diane

Back in the beginning of the Underwood era and before that, I wouldn’t have thought Illinois had a chance at someone like Diane. We didn’t have much to offer, but that has all changed in the last half-decade or so.

Illinois has been great on the recruiting trail, especially when it comes to international players. Will Riley, the Ivisic brothers, Kasparas Jakucionis, and more have all flocked to Illinois. The list of international players is long, and they have been the backbone of this program.

I have also been impressed with Illinois’ ability to develop the big man. Kofi Cockburn was the first example, and he was a multi-time All-American. As a freshman, Ivisic averaged 13.0 points and shot 35.7 from three-point range for the Illini last season. There is proof of concept when talking about big-man development for the Orange and Blue.

A lot of teams are going to come after Diane. Illinois will be ready, though. It would not shock me in the least bit if the Illini can not only get in this recruitment, but I think we can win it when it is all said and done.