Former Alabama Crimson Tide forward Mouhamed Dioubate has found a new home in the transfer portal for the 2025-26 season -- and it's with an SEC rival.
Maybe the Kentucky Wildcats got tired of losing to Alabama on the basketball court.
In any case, Kentucky and coach Mark Pope landed the 6-foot-7, 215-pound Dioubate, who picked Big Blue Nation after receiving offers from a litany of schools: North Carolina, Louisville and Michigan among them. On3's Joe Tipton first announced the news.
A 6-foot-7, 215-pound power forward out of Queens (N.Y.), Dioubate played in all 37 games for the Crimson Tide this past season but did not start. He was a member of both Nate Oats' Final Four and Elite Eight teams the past two seasons.
In the 2025 NCAA Tournament, Dioubate had a double-double in Alabama's first-round win over Robert Morris, grabbing 10 rebounds to go with 18 points. He had five rebounds against both Saint Mary's in the second round and BYU in the Sweet 16 before the Crimson Tide's 85-65 loss to Duke in the Elite Eight.
Dioubate averaged 16 minutes a night to go with 7.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, shooting 61.7 percent from the field. Alabama finished 28-9 overall, including a 13-5 mark in SEC regular season play.
Three of Alabama's victories this season came against Kentucky: 102-97 at Rupp Arena on Jan. 18, 96-83 at Coleman Coliseum on Feb. 22, and again in the SEC Tournament on March 14 when the Tide routed the Wildcats 99-70 in Nashville.
Dioubate had openly stated that he wanted a spot in Alabama's starting lineup next season after the season-ending loss in the East Region final of the NCAA Tournament in Newark, N.J. "I know what I deserve on the court, and the other guys know that as well," he told the Tuscaloosa News.
Dioubate signed with Alabama as a 4-star prospect out of Putnam Science Academy in Connecticut in 2023. On3 ranked Dioubate the No. 99 overall player in the class of 2023, and 247Sports named him the 22nd best power forward in the nation.
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This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: Alabama basketball loses Mouhamed Dioubate to rival in transfer portal
