Illinois basketball offers four-star center Aliou Dioum

Illinois basketball has emphasized size in this recruiting cycle and recently extended an offer to four-star center Aliou Dioum out of Arizona. Dioum is a 6-foot-10 center in the class of 2026, originally from Senegal, who currently attends Bella Vista Prep High School in Arizona.

He announced the offer on his X account (@Alioudioum05), posting:

“#Alkhamdulillah Blessed to receive an offer from the University of ILLINOIS AGTG!!”

Dioum is ranked as the #12 center nationally and the #9 player in Arizona, according to Rivals updated rankings. His list of offers includes Illinois, Arizona State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Syracuse, Wake Forest, Missouri, Loyola-Chicago, and more.

While Dioum hasn’t taken any official visits yet, he’s scheduled to visit Loyola-Chicago on July 28. The Ramblers are currently considered the favorite to land him, but Illinois basketball is making a late push following his strong performance at Peach Jam.

Assistant coach Orlando Antigua attended Peach Jam to watch Dioum in action and offered him a scholarship afterward. Dioum averaged 13.6 points and 6.2 rebounds at the event.

Known for his athleticism, Dioum also averaged 1.4 blocks per game during the EYBL season. He would bring valuable rim protection to the Illini defense and serve as a reliable lob threat from day one.

Offensively, he’s versatile – capable of knocking down outside shots and playing effectively on the wing when needed.

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