Kentucky has a secret weapon on the roster set to put up elite numbers for Mark Pope

The Kentucky Wildcats' roster for the 2025-26 season is looking to be special, as Coach Mark Pope has done an excellent job in the portal and high school recruiting while also holding on to some key pieces from last season.

Coach Pope brought in a few SEC transfers who will look to have a large role for this team and one of those players is former Alabama forward Mouhamed Dioubate. Last season for the Crimson Tide, Dioubate averaged 7.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, but he will look to boost those numbers this season in Lexington.

Dioubate shot an impressive 61.7% from the field and 46.2% from three last season, so the 6'7 forward was incredibly efficient.

For the Crimson Tide last season, Dioubate only played 16 minutes per game, but in games where he played over 20, the forward put up some elite numbers. Many college basketball experts anticipate Dioubate having a dominant season for Kentucky, but looking at his numbers from last season, a lot of college basketball fans wouldn't guess this.

Dioubate is going to be a secret weapon for Coach Pope, who has a shot to start if he is able to beat out the Croatian forward Andrija Jelavic. If Dioubate players over 20 minutes per game this season, it should not be a surprise if he leads the team in rebounding, as his long wingspan helps him grab boards.

The Alabama transfer Mouhamed Dioubte was a bench player for the Crimson Tide last season, but he will be a big part of this Kentucky team that is capable of hanging a banner.