Kentucky is getting a 'bulldog' in Alabama transfer big man Mouhamed Dioubate

Entering the offseason, Mark Pope said physicality was something the Kentucky staff would really focus on, and they answered that need in a big way on Monday evening after getting a commitment from Alabama transfer big man Mo Dioubate. The 6-7 forward was a major force for the Crimson Tide last season, proving himself as an elite glass cleaner and terrific rim-protector.

As Dioubate's commitment fills the physicality need, Kentucky fans should get to know what exactly the forward will bring. Kentucky Wildcats on SI spoke with someone who knows his game well, Max Barr of the Southeastern 16 Podcast, who called Dioubate a 'bulldog' of a player, someone who dives for lose balls constantly and his motor never quits. Barr is very high on the 6-7 forward, as he named him his Bully Ball Player of the Year award this season by a wide margin.

"He won my SEC Bully Ball Player of the Year award by a landslide, and I had almost 50 ballots. He's absolutely relentless - top 25 (nationally) in SEC play in offensive rebound rate, defensive rebound rate, steal rate, fouls drawn per 40 minutes and two-point percentage. You can expect him to be in any meeting around the rim in explosive fashion. Also, he has sneakily been building an outside shot. He shot 4 of 10 in SEC play, something that (Mark) Pope will definitely utilize."Max Barr of SEC 16 on Dioubate.

The numbers back up just how much of a physical presence Dioubate is, ranking fifth in the SEC this past season in defensive rebound rate and 15th on the offensive glass. He absolutely locks players down. One of the top players in the SEC, Collin Murray-Boyles of South Carolina, had a rough game when faced against Dioubate, putting up just 6 points on 1-6 shooting, someone that averages 16.8 points per outing. Not just that, but he also held Otega Oweh to just 2 points in their first matchup, which then ended his streak of consecutive double-digit games.

Kentucky is definitely answering the need for physicality, doing it in a huge way by adding a workhorse like Mo Dioubate.