- Details
- Category: Current Issue
When Mouhamed Dioubate took his official to the University of Alabama recently, the Putnam Science Academy basketball standout had the opportunity to take in a football game.
And while he certainly didn’t commit last week to the Crimson Tide because he’d get to watch the premier program in the country play on Saturdays in the fall, it did have an unexpected indirect impact.
“The big factors that went into my decision were obviously the things that had to do with basketball,” he said. “But the football game wasn’t just a football game. It was the culture around it. It was how everyone was connected and got along. The soccer team was there, the basketball team was there, everyone was supporting each other. That felt real good. That was a cool feeling.”
The 6-foot, 7-inch Dioubate continued his climb as a Top 100 player with a big-time AAU season this summer, which followed a breakout year last season in which he helped the Mustangs win a national championship, which followed a strong summer of AAU, which followed a not-so-good first taste of prep school basketball back in the spring semester of 2021. In fact, when Dioubate arrived at PSA from Queens, N.Y., midway through the 2020-21 Covid season, he looked lost and in over his head. He played sparingly, averaging about four points and three rebounds.
“When I first got here, it was hard,” he said. “I was way behind the other guys. But I always knew I was a high-caliber player. It was just the opportunity given for to me showcase that. I always had the confidence.”
He returned last year a different player, full of confidence…and game. He averaged 10 points and 6.5 rebounds as a key reserve for the 38-0 Mustangs. And now he’s back for his final season, ready to be the leading man. He is a problem for opponents on the glass, especially at the offensive end, where his relentlessness just wins out.
PSA coach Tom Espinosa often talks about the difficult transition in adjusting to the level of play from high school to prep school. He remembers the absolute struggle it was for Dioubate just a year-and-a-half ago but knew there was the ability to grow. And now…
“I don’t know of many other players I’d rather have than Mouhamed Dioubate at the prep school level,” Espinosa said. “You could throw a lot of names at me, and I don’t know if I’d trade him for anybody. He’s a beast. He’s a nightmare for other teams and players.”
Stephen Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy
.