Mo Dioubate's decision to enter the Transfer Portal a year ago was a stunner for Alabama basketball. It was made worse with his decision to transfer to Kentucky, though that proved fruitless for both the Wildcats and Dioubate.
Dioubate, who entered the portal in search of a guaranteed starting opportunity, ultimately only started 10 of the 31 games he played in for Kentucky as the Wildcats were knocked out in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
His playing time ticked up only marginally to 21 MPG from 16 as a sophomore with Alabama, and he increased his scoring average from 7.2 points per game to 8.8. But his three-point shot, which had begun developing with the Crimson Tide (12-of-26 in 2024-25), completely abandoned him in Lexington (6-of-28).
After one year with Kentucky, Dioubate has decided to enter the Transfer Portal for the second straight offseason as he looks for the right opportunity in his final season of college basketball.
NEWS: Kentucky forward Mouhamed Dioubate plans to enter the @TransferPortal, source told @On3. ⁰⁰The 6-7 junior averaged 8.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.0 stocks per game. Began his career at Alabama. https://t.co/kQpvEPJrVu https://t.co/QqYdYtECgd pic.twitter.com/Uf2y7h1TWA
— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) April 6, 2026
Could we see a Mo Dioubate and Alabama reunion?
While I'm sure Nate Oats would welcome back Dioubate, who was a blue-collar machine for the Crimson Tide in his two seasons in Tuscaloosa, it seems unlikely that Dioubate would entertain a return to Alabama without playing time and role assurances that he's not going to get from Oats.
He's got one year of college basketball left, and he'll likely be looking for a significant payday and role at his last stop. If he were comfortable being the energy and effort glue-guy, he never would have left Tuscaloosa to begin with. He clearly feels he can be more than that, and someone is going to pay him to do just that next season.
Ironically, Dioubate likely would have been Alabama's starting PF this season had he returned to the Crimson Tide instead of entering the portal.
Don't be surprised if you hear some initial rumblings about a Dioubate and Alabama reunion, but I would expect it to play out similarly to Rylan Griffen a year ago. After some initial chatter, Griffen ultimately ended up at Texas A&M for his last season of eligibility.