University of Alabama freshman forward Mouhamed Dioubate played the best and most important game of his Crimson Tide career on Sunday evening to help his team move on to the Sweet 16. That career is just getting going.
After the game in which Dioubate had nine second half points, including three huge free throws, he revealed that he was not eating throughout the day or even drinking water due to fasting for Ramadan.
"I knew it was crunch time. I'm fasting right now, I can't drink no water, I can't eat no food. So I just prepare myself mentally. I knew we needed a burst. When coach put me in, I knew what time it was."
– Mouhamed Dioubate to @UA_CTSN
— Thursday | 8:30 CT | CBS 🐘🏀 (@UARoundballGuy) March 25, 2024
“I knew it was crunch time. I’m fasting right now, I can’t drink no water, I can’t eat no food. So I just prepare myself mentally. I knew we needed a burst. When coach put me in, I knew what time it was,” Dioubate said.
Dioubate entered the game in the second half with a plethora of Tide big men in foul trouble and delivered in a way he hadn’t yet this season with a huge and-one and made free throw to retake the lead.
THE TIDE RETAKE THE LEAD 🔥#MarchMadness @AlabamaMBB pic.twitter.com/da8dcYqqEC
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 25, 2024
After Dioubate’s massive bucket, Alabama did not trail again.
Ramadan is observed by Muslims worldwide from the middle of March throughout the middle of April and is described as a month of “fasting, prayer, reflection, and community.”
Dioubate’s efforts even without food and water helped to propel Alabama into a matchup with the No. 1 seed in the West region, North Carolina.
The Tide will take on the Tar Heels on Thursday evening in Los Angeles with tipoff scheduled for 8:40 P.M. CST.
Michael Brauner is a Senior Sports Analyst and Contributing Writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP
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