Crimson Tide forward Mouhamed Dioubate helped Alabama make it to the Elite Eight during March Madness this year. He won’t be there to see the team try again next season. Dioubate is heading to Kentucky by way of the transfer portal. Wildcats coach Mark Pope dipped into the transfer portal on Friday, adding a quartet of players with Alabama’s Dioubate, former Pittsburgh point guard Jaland Lowe, and Tulane guard Kam Williams and Arizona State forward Jayden Quaintance.
Lowe spent two seasons at Pitt, averaging 13.3 points, 4.3 assists and 3.5 rebounds in 64 games while playing for coach Jeff Capel. He led the Panthers in points (16.8) and assists (5.5) as a sophomore, though he also struggled with turnovers, averaging 3.0 as Pitt saw a promising start fizzle into a 17-15 season. The 6-foot-3 Lowe was a third-team All-ACC selection.
"Jaland is an incredibly explosive, playmaking, veteran point guard," Pope said in a statement. "He's a great kid who has a tremendous work ethic and most importantly, loves this game and wants nothing more than to win."
The 6-foot-7 Dioubate averaged 7.2 points and 5.9 rebounds in 16 minutes a game while helping the Crimson Tide to the Elite Eight. Dioubate shot 61% from the field and was third on Alabama in steals and second in blocks despite the somewhat limited playing time. Williams earned a spot on the American Athletic Conference All-Freshman team after averaging 9.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.1 steals.
Quaintance was a consensus five-star prospect and a 2024 McDonald's All-American who originally signed to Kentucky before John Calipari left for Arkansas. Quaintance instead went to Arizona State where he started all 24 games he played. Quaintance, who turns 18 this summer, averaged 9.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks as a member of the Big 12 All-Freshman and Big 12 All-Defensive teams.
While Lowe and Dioubate are moving to Lexington, former Xavier guard Ryan Conwell is heading about an hour west to Louisville. The rising senior is joining the Cardinals following an impressive season in which he was named to the All-Big East third team after averaging 16.5 points, including a career-best 38 against Marquette in the Big East Tournament. Conwell finished in the top 10 in the Big East in 3-point percentage (41%), field goal percentage (45%) and free-throw percentage (83%).
Louisville is Conwell's fourth stop in as many seasons. He previously played at South Florida and Indiana State before joining Xavier.
UCLA announced that three transfers are joining the Bruins.
Xavier Booker, a forward-center from Michigan State, has two years of eligibility remaining. Jamar Brown, a guard from Missouri-Kansas City, and Steven Jamerson II, a forward-center from the University of San Diego, will enroll as graduate students. They each have one season of eligibility left.
They join guard Donovan Dent, who earlier this month announced he was leaving New Mexico.
Pitt added a needed dose of size, bringing in former Iowa State center Dishon Jackson. The 6-foot-11, 270-pound Jackson averaged 8.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in about 19 minutes a game for the Cyclones. He joins a team that struggled with rebounding all season and saw twin centers Guillermo Diaz-Graham and Jorge Diaz-Graham enter the portal.
New West Virginia coach Ross Hodge announced the signing of 7-footer Harlan Obioha, who averaged 9.2 points, 6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game as a junior in his only season at UNC Wilmington. Before that, he played two seasons at Niagara. Michigan added former UCLA 7-foot center Aday Mara, who averaged 6.4 points and four rebounds last season as a sophomore, to help replace 7-1 Russian center Vladislav Goldin.
