UK coach Mark Pope provides injury updates on Mouhamed Dioubate, Jaland Lowe
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope gives injury update on Mouhamed Dioubate.
- Dioubate suffered an ankle injury during UK’s loss to Michigan State on Nov. 18.
- UK hosts North Carolina on Tuesday night at Rupp Arena.
During his weekly radio show Monday night, Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope said junior forward Mouhamed Dioubate is making progress as he continues to recover from an ankle injury.
Dioubate, a 6-foot-7 forward from New York City who transferred to Kentucky during the offseason after two years at Alabama, sustained an ankle injury during the closing minutes of Kentucky’s loss to Michigan State in the Champions Classic on Nov. 18.
Dioubate hasn’t played in UK’s past two games, which were home blowout wins against Loyola (Maryland) and Tennessee Tech.
Pope said “I’m not sure that they’re going to be available tomorrow, but they’re making progress,” in reference to both Dioubate and junior guard Jaland Lowe, who has only appeared in two games this season due to a right shoulder injury.
“Those guys are coming along, they’re doing the best they can,” Pope added. “... We can’t wait until they get back, for sure.”
Dioubate had been part of Kentucky’s starting lineup for each of the team’s first five games this season. He’s averaging 11.6 points and 5.8 rebounds in 20.4 minutes per game. Dioubate is shooting 62.2% from the field, but he’s made just one of his 11 attempts from 3-point range.
Dioubate’s injury absence has coincided with two starting lineup changes for the Wildcats. Pope has inserted sophomore wing Kam Williams and freshman center Malachi Moreno into the starting group, with junior forward Brandon Garrison coming off the bench in the past two games.
Seniors Denzel Aberdeen and Otega Oweh, along with sophomore Collin Chandler, have remained starters.
“These different lineup changes help,” Oweh said Monday morning. “Coach Pope, he always says we’re the deepest team in the country. So we’re going to have different lineups. So just getting used to the different faces out there, I definitely do think that it’s a good switch for other teams. They’re preparing for something completely different, then the game comes, and they see who we got out there. So it definitely keeps the (other) team on their heels as well.”
Lowe, who has twice injured his right shoulder this season, remains out. He’s played in only two games this season, coming off the bench in both.
Kentucky is also without projected NBA lottery pick Jayden Quaintance, a sophomore forward who had surgery to repair a torn ACL in March and is still recovering from that injury.
Kentucky (5-2), ranked No. 18 in this week’s AP Top 25, will face No. 16 North Carolina (6-1) in the annual ACC/SEC Challenge on Tuesday night at Rupp Arena.
This story was originally published December 1, 2025 at 8:05 PM.
