Sunday afternoons in September are typically days when you'd expect most of the news cycle to revolve around football, but WVU men's basketball also got some big news on the recruiting trail today.
The news was broken by Joe Tipton of Rivals on Sunday that the West Virginia Mountaineers have landed four-star Class of 2026 center Aliou Dioum. Dioum, a Senegalese native who plays his prep ball at Bella Vista Prep (AZ), is ranked as the 80th overall player in his class nationally and the 11th-best center by Rivals. WVU first-year coach Ross Hodge and his staff beat out Mississippi State and Wake Forest to land the massive recruit.
NEWS: 4⭐️ Aliou Dioum has committed to West Virginia, he told @Rivals.
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) September 21, 2025
The 6-10 center is the No. 80 overall recruit in the 2026 class. https://t.co/30TZ5kqghZ pic.twitter.com/hsHnT0CuPv
“I chose West Virginia because they showed me a plan to be successful from day one. I believe in Coach Hodge and the entire staff to develop me and help me become the best person and player I can be," Dioum said.
Dioum made the decision after visiting the Mountaineers earlier this fall, and marks the first player to commit to WVU for the Class of 2026. In Dioum, the Mountaineers can expect a physical post presence who will give WVU a strong defender inside the paint – expect him to mesh well with the defensive-focused system that Hodge is expected to bring to the program in Morgantown.
“Coach Hodge is a defensive minded coach and he believes I can come in and defend from day one...I am a defensive minded big. I love to protect the rim, play hard, and win. I’m a versatile big that loves to compete," Dioum said.