### Otega Oweh Excited by Physical Presence of New Teammate Mo Dioubate
**Lexington, KY** — Kentucky Wildcats forward **Otega Oweh** didn’t hold back on his enthusiasm for the team’s newest addition, transfer forward **Mo Dioubate**, calling him “a physical big” whose arrival injects toughness and defensive prowess into Kentucky’s roster.
During a recent media session, Oweh praised his teammate in candid fashion: *“Mo, obviously he’s a physical big. I was excited when we got him. He’s gonna help us a lot.”* ([facebook.com][1])
Dioubate, a 6‑foot‑7 forward, joined Kentucky this off‑season via the transfer portal after an impressive stint with Alabama, where he played a pivotal role in three late‑season victories over Kentucky. His dominance on defense and ability to disrupt opposing offenses clearly left a lasting impression on Oweh.
“We faced him multiple times last season,” Oweh recalled. “I didn’t like playing against him, if I’m being honest. He punished us three straight games.” ([si.com][2]) His words highlight Dioubate’s disruptive presence, particularly in contesting shots, grabbing boards, and prompting miscues.
Indeed, SI reported that during that stretch, Dioubate limited Oweh to just two points on 1‑for‑9 shooting in their matchup at Tuscaloosa, later holding him to eight points on 1‑6 in the SEC Tournament, and again stifling him in the third game with 13 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and a steal ([si.com][2]). Clearly, Dioubate’s impact was felt not only by Oweh but across the Wildcats roster.
It’s this kind of presence that Kentucky head coach Mark Pope targeted when recruiting aggressively from the SEC transfer portal. As one insider put it, “I thought that was a really good get,” referring to Dioubate’s physical profile and versatility in defending multiple positions ([kentucky.com][3]).
On the court for the Tide, Dioubate averaged 7.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in roughly 16 minutes per game, shooting at an impressive 61.7 percent from the field ([yoursportsedge.com][4]). While he may not have posted gaudy counting stats, his rotations, box-outs, and defensive mindset were exactly what Kentucky needed to fortify its frontline.
“Mo plays defense like me,” Oweh said. “But he’s a four/five, he’s big and can move his feet. It don’t matter who he’s guarding — a 5‑8 guard or a 6‑10 big, he’s gonna go out there and just be a dog.” ([yoursportsedge.com][4]) Oweh’s admiration is rooted in shared values: tenacity, effort, and defensive intensity.
Teammates echo this sentiment. Kentucky center **Brandon Garrison**, who also faced Dioubate last season, praised his physical presence and mobility: *“His physicality is gonna help this team out… fast, mobile… that’s a part of this game.”* ([si.com][2], [yoursportsedge.com][4]) Such attributes are invaluable in Pope’s system, which emphasizes switchability and positionless defense.
Dioubate’s addition is another example of Kentucky’s evolving roster-building strategy—leveraging transfer portal talent from within the SEC to combat personnel mismatches. In Dioubate, they secured a player who not only tormented their team from afar but who now offers the potential to replicate and multiply that impact from within.
With Oweh and Garrison ready to collaborate with Dioubate on defense and rebounding, Kentucky appears poised to field one of the more physically dominant frontcourts in the conference. As the new season approaches, the question is no longer *if* Dioubate will make a splash, but *how big* that splash will be. For Oweh and the Wildcats, it’s a welcome problem to have.