5. Arafan Diane - C
While Louisville is targeting a majority of guards in the 2026 recruiting class, we also wanted to add one of their top targets, a center, Arafan Diane. Recently, Kelsey and the Cardinals made Diane's updated list when he cut his list down to 12 schools, making Louisville in a recruiting showdown with SEC and blue blood powerhouses.
The 7-foot, 280-pound center is ranked as high as No. 18 in the nation and is the consensus best center in the 2026 class. The 4-star center averaged 21.6 points, 13.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.8 blocks per game for Iowa United in the Adidas 3SSB Circuit. He also dominated the 2024 U17 World Cup after logging 19.1 points, 11.7 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, and 1.4 assists per game.
Diane has set official visits to Houston, Kentucky, and Arkansas, which has caused the Cardinals to fall behind in On3 Sports projections. Louisville hopes to earn an official visit before Diane makes his decision, as he emerges as a perfect center to play under Kelsey. Louisville was once given an 11 percent chance of earning the 4-star commitment, but now Houston has become the dominant favorite after earning an unofficial and an official visit.
Related: Louisville still in the hunt for elite 7-Foot 4-star C after major recruiting update