The Oregon Ducks men's basketball team has extended an offer to 7-foot sophomore center Alajuan Diane, who is set to join the class of 2026. A native of Montreal, Canada, Diane currently plays high school basketball at Iowa United Prep.
His height and play have earned him the nickname “Baby Shaq” among some scouts and media. Diane has offers from Oregon, Arizona State, Texas Tech and Cincinnati. He is the No. 33 overall prospect in the 2026 class, according to On3 rankings.
Despite her young age, Diane has already made a big impact on the basketball court. According to Joe Musa of North Pole Hoops, Diane faced off against 7-foot-tall San Diego State University-bound David Tokbar and made a powerful block on his dunk attempt. Diane also showed she's adept at playing in the low post.
If those accolades weren't enough for the big man, he is currently one of just two players listed on the 2026 Platinum Circuit, the premier guide to the top programs and prospects in Canada and the United States.
Diane is the fifth basketball player to receive an offer from the Ducks in the class of 2026. Though it is still very early in the recruiting process, Diane also holds offers from Texas Tech University, University of Cincinnati, Virginia Commonwealth University, Arizona State University and Utah State University.
The youngster has all the traits of a game-changing player, which is why he'll likely receive multiple offers as he continues to fine-tune his game. Either way, it'll be fun to watch him develop and hopefully see him in a Ducks uniform.
Oregon's 2026 offers 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.
