Dioubate's Ramadan Heroics Not Enough for Kentucky

0:00On March 5, Kentucky dropped the tough one to Texas A&M on Tuesday night, but forward Mo Dubez stood out as their most effective player. The six-foot-seven junior transfer from Alabama scored 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds, shooting eight for nine from the field in just 22 minutes. That marked his best scoring night against an SEC opponent this season, nearly matching his personal best. Most of Dubez's production came after half-time, where he added 15 points on perfect six for six shooting. Along with teammate Otega Oway's 18 second half points, he helped keep the wildcats from falling further behind when the deficit hit 21. His timely baskets, including several A&M ones, cut the gap multiple times late in the game. Fans and observers noted Dubez grit amid personal challenges, as he's fasting for Ramadan during this late night match-up. He couldn't eat or drink after sunrise until the sunset midway through the first half, yet ESPN cameras caught him refueling with fruit from the bocus.

1:01Binch. Despite that, he led Kentucky in plus-minus at plus-3, the only positive mark for most of the team. In recent outings, Dubez has stayed consistent, posting double figures last week against South Carolina and contributing steals in a win-over. Fanderbilt. Analytics show him excelling in offensive rebounding and drawing free throws over his last five games, ranking in the top tiers nationally. Mark Pope squad relies on that relentless energy from Diube, even if stand-out efforts like this one couldn't overcome the loss. Mark Pope squad relies on that relentless energy from Diube, even if stand-out efforts like this one, couldn't overcome the loss.