Following his arrival on the portal on Friday, Kentucky was the first school to contact Alabama transfer Mouhamed Dioubate, joining a long list of teams interested in the tough forward from Queens, New York. In the intraconference trade, the rising junior, who is currently a Wildcat, declared his allegiance to Mark Pope.
Following interest from schools including Louisville, Michigan, Mississippi State, North Carolina, NC State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Providence, Vanderbilt, and Villanova, among others, Dioubate decided to go with the blue and white.
Dioubate, who is 6’7″ and 215 pounds, spent two seasons in Tuscaloosa. He shot 61.7 percent from the field, 46.2 percent from three, and 60.9 percent from the arc, averaging 7.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game. Thirteen times, including four times combined in the SEC and NCAA Tournaments, he scored in double figures.
In the season’s first head-to-head game against Kentucky inside Rupp Arena, Dioubate recorded eight points, eight rebounds, three assists, and a steal. In the rematch in Tuscaloosa, he responded with four points, five rebounds, and a block. In the SEC Tournament thumping, he scored 13 points, pulled down eight rebounds, blocked two shots, and scored a steal, all three of which were victories for the Crimson Tide.
In the SEC Tournament semifinals, other notable performances include defeating No. 6 Houston with 10 points and 16 rebounds in overtime, defeating Vanderbilt with 22 points and 10 rebounds, defeating No. 1 Auburn with eight points and seven rebounds, defeating No. 15 Missouri with 13 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists, defeating No. 24 Mississippi State with 10 points and 11 rebounds, and defeating No. 4 Florida with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
“I want to express my gratitude to Coach Oats, the entire coaching staff, all of the support staff, and the University of Alabama for giving me the chance to be a part of an incredible run and experience while I’m here,” Dioubate said last week. “I want to express my gratitude to everyone who loved and supported me while I was at Alabama.”
Alongside high school signees Jasper Johnson, Malachi Moreno, and Acaden Lewis, Dioubate joins a gateway class at Kentucky that also features Pittsburgh transfer Jaland Lowe and Tulane transfer Kam Williams. At this point, the Wildcats can pencil in 11 players for 2025–2026 by keeping Otega Oweh, Brandon Garrison, Collin Chandler, Trent Noah, and Travis Perry.
