Kentucky forward Mo Dioubate made his return to Tuscaloosa with the Wildcats during their SEC opener against the No. 13 Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday. Dioubate, who played for the Crimson Tide for two seasons before entering the transfer portal and joining Kentucky in April, received a mixed reception from Alabama fans at Coleman Coliseum.
Dioubate tallied six points, eight rebounds, and one assist in 21 minutes of action in the Wildcats’ dismal 89-74 loss to the Crimson Tide.
Mo Dioubate Addresses Emotions of Facing Alabama
During his postgame news conference after the loss to his former team, Dioubate, who was booed by a pocket of Alabama fans during the game, revealed the emotions that he went through at facing his former team in a high-stakes SEC clash.
“It was quite fun (being back), a little emotional. That’s a school that I played for for two years, where I created a lot of bonds with people over there,” Dioubate said. “It was fun. I was looking forward to that game for a long time.
“We didn’t get the result we wanted, but just being back there in that environment felt good. I was really, really excited going into that game. I’ve been looking forward to that game all year.”
Dioubate averaged 7.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 0.7 blocks, and 1.1 assists for the Crimson Tide last season, helping Oats’ team to make a run to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament before entering the transfer portal and joining Kentucky.
Nate Oats Misses Dioubate’s Toughness
Despite the physicality of freshman Amari Allen in the Crimson Tide roster, during a news conference last month, Alabama coach Nate Oats highlighted Dioubate’s toughness as a key missing ingredient in his current roster.
“Recruit a guy like Mo Dioubate,” Oats said. “You didn’t really have to coach him to be tough. He was tough. That’s who he is. Certain coaches and teams always tend to be a little tougher, so there is definitely some coachability to it.
“You gotta have some fight and determination, toughness and some grit about you. As a coach, I can try to demand it, but you have to want to do it and it’s gotta be who you are.”
An ankle sprain sidelined Dioubate for weeks last year, but the forward has claimed his starting spot back after making his return. He is averaging 11.6 points on 61.5% shooting from the floor and 14.3% shooting from beyond the arc, 6.6 rebounds, and 0.8 assists for the Wildcats this season.