by LARRY VAUGHT
In a three-game span, UK overcame first-half deficits of 12 points to Mississippi State, 16 to LSU and 17 to Tennessee to win all three games. The last time Kentucky came back from at least 12 points behind in three straight was 2017 against Florida (12), Vanderbilt (19) and Texas A&M (15). Kentucky led only 34 seconds at Tennessee after leading for only 70 seconds at LSU.
In the 80-78 win at Tennessee last week — UK’s fourth straight win in Knoxville — one of the key players was Mo Dioubate had scored only four points and played 25 minutes combined against Mississippi State and LSU. He lost his starting job to Andrija Jelavic and many fans blamed his lack of offense for UK’s woes.
Dioubate had to have heard the noise but he was ready to make his physical presence felt at Tennessee and had 10 points and a team-high six rebounds, including four offensive boards. He changed the complexion of the game with his toughness the way coach Mark Pope envisioned he could when he transferred from Alabama.
“I’m so proud of him. He just wanted to be him. He wanted to be the greatness that Mo Dioubate is. We’ve talked about it over the course of the year, but when guys love themselves, when they love what they bring, that’s special and magical to this game, then they’re great,” Pope said after the Tennessee win. “He was unbelievable. His impact on the game was way bigger than his (stat) line.”
Dioubate admitted on the UK Radio Network postgame show with Jack Givens that losing his starting job was something he had to accept and overcome.
“You’ve just got to be a team player to begin with. There’s a lot of adversity, playing at this level or any level, but you’ve got to do what’s best for your team,” Dioubate told Givens. “Do what you do good, try to do it better than anybody else, and other opportunities are going to present themselves when you do that. So just be the team player, and whatever you can do to help your team win, do that, and everything else is going to fall in line with you.”
ESPN analyst Jay Bilas thought Dioubate might have been trying too hard to do something that was not his strength.
“I think he has been trying to prove he can knock down perimeter shots when the things he does best are play physical, chase down rebounds and be a relentless defender,” Bilas said. “He can guard multiple spots. His best thing is the energy he brings.”
Pope said Dioubate’s toughness was a “priceless gift” that few players have.
“It’s equivalent to (NBA star) Steph Curry having the greatest stroke in the world, in the sense that his toughness makes him special, just like a guy that Koby Brea makes 3’s makes him special,” Pope said. “And when he embraces his toughness, he changes the whole complexion of the game. And he did that for us tonight.”
