What does Mark Pope think of the former Alabama player who’s transferring to UK?
Kentucky basketball will now, officially, be bringing in a former conference rival for next season.
On Friday afternoon, UK formally announced the addition of former Alabama sophomore forward Mouhamed Dioubate for the 2025-26 season.
A 6-foot-7 forward from New York City, Dioubate came off the bench during the past two seasons for the Crimson Tide. As a sophomore last season, Dioubate averaged 7.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game in 37 contests for Nate Oats’ team. Dioubate appeared in every game that Alabama — which reached the Elite Eight for a second straight year — played last season.
Dioubate averaged more than one assist and nearly one steal per game for the Crimson Tide last season, while shooting 46.2% (12-for-26) on a low volume of 3-pointers.
Dioubate had five double-doubles for Alabama last season, including 10 points and a career-best 16 rebounds in a November overtime win over Houston, the eventual national runner-up.
“Mouhamed is a special young man who is a perfect fit for the way we play,” UK head coach Mark Pope said of Dioubate in a news release.
Pope and the Wildcats got an up close look at Dioubate’s skills during the three games that Alabama and Kentucky played against each other last season.
On Jan. 18, Dioubate had eight points, eight rebounds and three assists in 15 minutes off the bench in Alabama’s road win at Kentucky. On Feb. 22, Dioubate had four points, five rebounds and a block in 14 minutes as the Crimson Tide beat the Wildcats in Tuscaloosa. Finally on March 14, Dioubate had 13 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and a steal in 22 minutes as Alabama destroyed Kentucky in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals in Nashville.
Now, after helping to hand UK three of its 12 total losses last season, Dioubate will be suiting up for the Cats next season.
“He is a ball-handling, decision-making, physical, competitor,” Pope added about Dioubate, who averaged 16 minutes played off the bench for the Crimson Tide last season. “Mo can play and guard all five positions and has a presence as a point forward which makes him uniquely suited to play for us.”
During both of his seasons at Alabama, Dioubate was part of lengthy NCAA Tournament runs. In addition to last season’s Elite Eight finish, the Crimson Tide reached the program’s first ever Final Four during the 2023-24 campaign, when Dioubate was a freshman.
Originally a member of the 2023 high school recruiting class, Dioubate was a four-star high school prospect out of Putnam Science Academy in Connecticut.
Dioubate has two years of college eligibility remaining.
Kentucky has now formally announced all four of its transfer portal additions, so far, for the 2025-26 season. UK has released statements confirming the arrivals of Dioubate, former Pittsburgh sophomore guard Jaland Lowe, former Arizona State freshman big man Jayden Quaintance and former Tulane freshman wing Kam Williams.
Kentucky basketball roster takes shape for 2025-26 season
Pope and his fellow UK coaches have gone to work this offseason to retool the Kentucky basketball roster for next season.
Six players from the 2024-25 UK team are out of NCAA eligibility. Those players are Ansley Almonor, Koby Brea, Lamont Butler, Andrew Carr, Jaxson Robinson and Amari Williams. Their college basketball careers are over.
Guard Kerr Kriisa is expected to get a sixth season of college eligibility due to his injury issues. But, he’s already committed to Cincinnati from Kentucky out of the transfer portal.
Players from the 2024-25 UK team who could return to the Wildcats next season are freshmen guards Collin Chandler and Travis Perry, freshman forward Trent Noah, sophomore center Brandon Garrison and junior guard Otega Oweh.
UK has six newcomers in the fold for next season. Four players are transfer portal pickups. Those players are Dioubate, Lowe, Quaintance and Williams.
Kentucky will also be bringing in high school recruits Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno, who recently won a Sweet 16 state championship with Georgetown’s Great Crossing High School. Moreno was a McDonald’s All-American this year. Both Johnson and Moreno are top-30 recruits nationally.
On Thursday night, top-30 guard Acaden Lewis decommitted from Kentucky.
Kentucky is still involved in the recruitment of high school senior Nate Ament, a five-star power forward from Virginia. Ament is down to five schools in his college recruitment: Arkansas, Duke, Kentucky, Louisville and Tennessee.
This story was originally published April 11, 2025 at 2:27 PM.
