“I know what I deserve on the court, and the other guys know that as well,” said the 21-year-old when asked if he was looking for a starting position with Alabama. Further, he also mentioned how his gameplay needed improvement after Alabama lost to Duke in the Elite Eight. Cut to a few weeks later, we see the 6’7 forward hitting the transfer portal. And the destination he picks? Yeah, the very same team he managed to upset in three meetings. Now? Well, Mark Pope is nothing but in awe of Mouhamed Dioubate.
Out of the 70 games played with Alabama, the forward never saw a start in his two seasons at Alabama, but contributed critical minutes for the Crimson Tide after his rookie year. Dioubate averaged 7.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game last season, which was a significant improvement from his first season at Alabama, where he averaged 2.9 points and 2.4 rebounds. He showed flashes of star potential constantly, but he particularly shone in a season-high 22-point game against Vanderbilt in January and a season-high 16-rebound game against Houston back in November.
And when such a player hit the transfer portal in early last month, Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats, who were in the hunt for players who align with the way they want to play, quickly bagged him. And now the 52-year-old is gushing over him and comparing him to the Draymond Green school of defense.
Mark Pope said on CBS Sports College Basketball, “He punished us for three straight games this season. It was not a happy time for us. He shot the ball at a ridiculous clip at a low volume. He is a 46% 3-point shooter on low volume, but where he is at his most dangerous, clearly he is an elite-level defender, one through five, a very much Draymond Green field defensively.”
NCAA, College League, USA Basketball: Alabama at Auburn Mar 8, 2025 Auburn, Alabama, USA Auburn Tigers forward Chaney Johnson, 31 pressures Alabama Crimson Tide forward Mouhamed Dioubate 10 during the first half at Neville Arena. Auburn Neville Arena Alabama USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xJohnxReedx 20250308_szo_sr5_0084
Dioubate slammed 13 points, going 5 for 6 with eight defensive rebounds and a steal in 22 minutes during the 99-70 beatdown of Kentucky in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals. In the regular season games, he played for fewer minutes but still gave the Wildcats a hard time, getting 13 rebounds in both games combined while also chipping in with 17 points.
His game is built on rock-solid fundamentals, ranking among the SEC’s best defensive rebounders last season, finishing fifth in defensive rebound efficiency while anchoring the paint with reliable rim protection and tough, physical post defense. But his impact goes far beyond the stat sheet. Just like Dray Green, it’s not only the numbers he gives you; his relentless energy, sharp positional awareness, and defensive tenacity just cannot be enumerated on how impactful they will be. You know a coach is excited about a player when he has accurate stats like his 46.2% 3-point field goal percentage from last season imprinted in his brain.
A player can be as good as they come, but does he fit the puzzle that you want to complete? That’s what Pope mentioned next, as he feels that Dioubate is the perfect player on defense, Kentucky should have. He said, “He is tailor-made for what we do, and he has these big shoulders that he just rams through the chest. His physicality is elite in both offense and defense.” Kentucky’s defense and rebounding were issues throughout the 2024-25 season, and Dioubate fixes both of them. And that 6-7, 215-pound physique? Yeah, that’s a bonus!
After orchestrating a successful first season at Kentucky by leading the blue-blood program to its first Sweet 16 since 2019, Mark Pope has put together a roster capable of going even further. Jayden Quaintance will join Dioubate on the defensive side of the court for the Wildcats, and they should evolve into a fierce duo. These two will certainly raise the level of their defense from last year. ESPN’s Jeff Borzello has the Wildcats ranked 10th in his early Top 25 for next season, and Pope will look to take this group deep into the NCAA championship.
Wildcats to face a familiar face at the 2025 CBS Sports Classic
The annual mid-December doubleheader usually delivers at least one Top 25 showdown. Yet, in its nine-year history, the CBS Sports Classic has surprisingly never featured a matchup with that kind of marquee storyline. Mark Pope and Co. will head to Atlanta for the CBS Sports Classic in December of this year, where they will face a coach that they recognize all too well, Rick Pitino and his St. John’s side.
Kentucky will be up against their former coach, Rick Pitino, who coached Kentucky from 1989 to 1997 and famously guided a dominant Wildcats squad to the 1996 national championship. The December showdown in Atlanta will mark Pitino’s first clash with the Wildcats since 2016, back in his final season at Louisville. To add more spice to the game, Pope himself played for Pitino on that ’96 title-winning team and will face his mentor as coach.
“I’ve been trying to get this game for more than a year,” Pope told CBS Sports. To face your mentor, the one who taught all the tricks of your trade, is a special occasion resulting in a Kung Fu Panda Tai Lung vs. Shifu moment, if you get the reference.
Not just in the coaching sense, these two can go band for band with their rosters, too. As things stand now, the Red Storm is ranked No. 2 and the Wildcats No. 11 in Gary Parrish’s offseason Top 25 and 1. With that, both teams will be playing at their best by the time this game comes around, making it an exciting contest. This tasty matchup will be served to us along with North Carolina vs. Ohio State, which will be a game to watch out for, too, but this has that extra zing added to it.
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