Alabama transfer Dioubate brings 'blue-collar' work ethic to Wildcats

LEXINGTON, Ky. (KT) — Mouhamed Dioubate earned a reputation as a “blue-collar” player during his two seasons at Alabama. Dioubate will bring that trait to Kentucky next season.

Dioubate committed to the Wildcats on Monday, three days after entering the transfer portal, and will have two seasons of eligibility remaining. Dioubate averaged 7.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game for the Crimson Tide last season. He played in 27 games and averaged 16 minutes per contest.

He had a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds in Alabama’s 90-81 win over Robert Morris in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. Dioubate’s performance displayed his full potential and he is known to provide a physical presence on the court.

“Being called soft, that's something that you don't want toward your team or your name,” he said.

Alabama coach Nate Oats said Dioubate exemplified the “hard hat” culture he has established in Tuscaloosa.

"We call (it) blue-collar basketball and he's as blue-collar as it gets,” Oats said earlier this season. “He's all about getting stops. He's not afraid to mix it up."

In an NCAA Tournament win over Grand Canyon last season, he scored eight points in four minutes in the Crimson Tide’s 72-61 win.

“I was just playing hard and I got lost in the game, honestly,” he said at the time. “I wasn't thinking about scoring. I just let the game come to me. Coach put me in with a few minutes left in the game because Jarin fouled out and I just tried to play as hard as I could and let my defense contribute to the offense, and that's what I did.”

This season, Dioubate and the Crimson Tide finished 28-9 and went 13-5 in the Southeastern Conference. Alabama swept Kentucky during the regular season and defeated the Wildcats in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament. Alabama finished third in the league standings and lost to eventual SEC Tournament champion Florida in the semifinals.

“I think it prepared us very well. We've been playing against the best teams all season long, from January on. And I think it kind of (gave) us an edge a little bit because we know what it feels like to play against those kind of teams,” he said earlier this month. “I don't think it's a failure because the league made history. You can't look at it as a failure.”