Mo Dioubate brings rebounding, defensive versatility Kentucky was missing last season

Incoming transfer Mouhamed “Mo” Dioubate is a prospect unlike anyone Kentucky had on the roster in 2024-25. Head coach Mark Pope realized his Wildcats needed more physicality and defensive punch going into his second year in charge, and he quickly addressed that with the addition of the Alabama transplant.

Clocking in at 6-foot-7, 215 pounds, Dioubate brings a level of versatility (primarily on defense) that Kentucky simply did not have a season ago. How he develops his offensive game this offseason will define his ceiling, but the defense and rebounding he brings to the table set his floor high.

According to Synergy by way of 247Sports’ Isaac Trotter, Dioubate held opponents to just 27 percent shooting last season when they drove into his large frame. The rising junior also grabbed offensive and defensive rebounds at a rate (13 percent and 24 percent, respectively, per KenPom) that would have ranked first and second on last year’s Kentucky team.

Dioubate plays the game as if he were four inches taller. His willingness to push around larger bodies and use his athleticism to his advantage made him an elite rebounder as a sophomore at Alabama. Even if he doesn’t grab the initial board, his non-stop motor allows him to create second-chance opportunities. Those traits also help make him a brick wall defensively. In back-to-back possessions, he’ll successfully stop a 6-foot-4 guard from penetrating the paint before walling up against a seven-footer on the block.

We can use his performances against Kentucky as examples — from Lamont Butler to Andrew Carr, Dioubate was able to create problems defensively with his length and quick feet. He was more than comfortable defending the likes of Auburn big man Johni Broome in the post. Pope was only being slightly hyperbolic when comparing Dioubate to future Hall of Famer Draymond Green.

“Nate Oats consistently points to Mo as an example of someone who gives 100 percent effort every time he steps on the floor,” On3 Alabama reporter Blake Byler recently told KSR+. “That really made him a big fan favorite among the fanbase because they loved seeing a guy out there playing that way.”

While Dioubate isn’t quite fast enough to stay in front of smaller, speedier point guards, there isn’t another position on the floor he can’t properly defend. His “Hakeem Percentage” (steal rate + block rate) of 6.9 percent, per KenPom, would have ranked second on Kentucky’s team last season behind only Amari Williams.

Kentucky desperately missed someone with Dioubate’s skillset last season. He’s a constant voice on defense, calling out plays and directing teammates when he sees something about to happen. Foul trouble was his primary issue last season with the Crimson Tide, although he’s usually disciplined when defending drives by keeping his arms straight up. His own physicality is what can sometimes get the best of him.

Dioubate only averaged 16 minutes per game in 2024-25, but fouled out of four games and was hit with four fouls in six other outings. His fouls called per 40 minutes rate was a 6.0, per KenPom — for comparison, Collin Chandler‘s was the highest on UK last season at 4.9. In-game availability will be something to keep an eye on once he suits up in the blue and white.

Offensively, there is still plenty to like about Dioubate. His two-point percentage went from 53.8 as a freshman to 64.7 percent as a sophomore. He can finish most shots around the rim and is able to overpower smaller defenders on his path to the bucket. Dioubate is smart in dribble hand-offs and pick-and-rolls, especially when it comes to quickly slipping toward the rim. Some light playmaking chops should shine brighter in Pope’s offense, where he’ll operate from the top of the key more than he did at Alabama.

But he’s not someone Pope is going to consistently run plays for as a scorer — his bread and butter will be as the distributor in that regard. Dioubate’s 12-26 (46.2 percent) mark from deep last season feels like fool’s gold (1-11 as a freshman). The shooting release is slow and low. He’s a career 55.9 percent free-throw shooter. If he notices a mismatch, he can sometimes get tunnel vision in isolation when barreling toward the basket.

All that being said, you trade whatever the offensive shortcomings might be for everything else Dioubate brings to the hardwood. He’s a better multi-positional defender than anyone on last season’s Kentucky roster, not to mention someone with two years of deep NCAA Tournament runs after battling in the SEC under his belt.

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