Oregon Ducks Men’s Basketball Offers Canada's No. 1 Recruit: Meet 'Baby Shaq'

The Oregon Ducks Men’s Basketball Team has offered Arafan Diane, a 7-foot sophomore center in the Class of 2026. Originally from Montreal, Canada, Diane now plays his prep basketball for Iowa United Prep.

Mark Lantz | May 30, 2024

Mar 23, 2024; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dana Altman talks to a referee during the second half of the game against the Creighton Bluejays in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports / Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

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His height and play has earned him the "Baby Shaq" nickname among some scouts and media. Diane holds offers from Oregon, Arizona State, Texas Tech, Cincinnati. He is the No. 33 overall prospect in the 2026 class per On3 rankings.

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Despite his young age, Diane has made quite an impact on the basketball court. Per Joe Moussa of North Pole Hoops, Diane matched up against 7-foot San Diego State commit, David Thokbur, and met his dunk attempt with a vicious block. Diane has also demonstrated his ability to play well in the low post.

If those accolades are not enough for this big man, he is currently one of just two players listed in the 2026 Platinum Circuit, a premier guide to the top tier programs and prospects in Canada and the United States.

Mar 23, 2024; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dana Altman talks to a referee during the second half of the game against the Creighton Bluejays in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

Diane is just the fifth basketball offer made by the Ducks for the class of 2026. While still very early in the recruiting process, Diane also has offers from Texas Tech, Cincinnati, Virginia Commonwealth, Arizona State and Utah State.

This young man exhibits all the traits of a game changing player. As such, he is likely to have multiple offers as he continues to fine-tune his game. Regardless, it should be fun to watch him progress and, hopefully, see him in a Ducks’ uniform.

Oregon's 2026 offers also include: No. 1-overall prospect point guard Brandon McCoy, No. 9 overall prospect shooting guard Ikenna Alozie, shooting guard Cameron Holmes, small forward Elijah Williams and small forward Maximo Adams, among others.

Published May 30, 2024|Modified May 30, 2024

MARK LANTZ

Mark Lantz brings a wealth of experience in sports broadcasting as well as detailed writing when covering all that is Oregon Ducks sports. Mark spent several years covering high school football, basketball and American Legion baseball. He was a play-by-play announcer and color commentator. He also started a network to broadcast high school basketball to small radio stations in Montana. Prior to his retirement in 2022, Mark spent over 10 years writing for a well-known wealth management firm. He wrote about stock market trends, investor behavior, economic and political developments, and retirement related matters, to name a few. His writing style is designed to give the reader insight into Oregon Ducks sports.