IOWA CITY, Iowa – The Iowa men’s basketball team has received a verbal commitment from 2025 forward Badara Diakite, who announced his intention to play for the Hawkeyes on Tuesday.

The 6-foot-10, 205-pound Diakite played his junior season for South Kent School in Kent, Connecticut. His hometown is listed as West Hartford, Connecticut.

Diakite is ranked by ESPN and by Rivals as a four-star recruit, and 127th nationally by Rivals in the 2025 class and 129th nationally by the 247Sports Composite.

Diakite, who recently visited the UI campus Iowa, is the first player in the 2025 class to commit to Iowa.

He picked Iowa over reported scholarship offers from defending national champion Connecticut, Penn State and Missouri.