One of the more underrated losses for Duke this season will be Maliq Brown running out of eligibility.
No, he didn't put up big offensive numbers, but his defensive impact cannot be overstated. Despite coming off the bench, he was still the ACC's Defensive Player of the Year and led the country in Defensive BPM, per Bart Torvik.
Brown's defensive impact won't be easily replaced. And while all the talk this offseason will be on how in the world Jon Scheyer can replace the production of Cameron Boozer, finding someone who can be as impactful as Brown on defense has to be a high priority if the Blue Devils want to remain one of the top defensive teams in the country.
That player could be Kentucky - and former Alabama - transfer Mouhamed Dioubate. The junior forward is heading back into the portal after one season at Kentucky, where he transferred to after spending his first two years at Alabama:
NEWS: Kentucky forward Mouhamed Dioubate plans to enter the @TransferPortal, source told @On3. ⁰⁰The 6-7 junior averaged 8.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.0 stocks per game. Began his career at Alabama. https://t.co/kQpvEPJrVu https://t.co/QqYdYtECgd pic.twitter.com/Uf2y7h1TWA
— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) April 6, 2026
Jon Scheyer should be aggressive in pursuing Kentucky transfer Mouhamed Dioubate
Dioubate isn't the singular defensive force that Brown was, but he's similar in his ability to guard all five positions, deny passing lanes, and outhustling everyone on the court.
He was at a 3.2 defensive BPM with Kentucky, but was at 4.8 during his sophomore season at Alabama.
He'd also bring more offensive upside. His three-point shot abandoned him in Lexington, but he knocked down 12-of-26 attempts in Tuscaloosa. If you leave him open, he has the ability to knock down shots on offense and further space the floor for Duke.
Pairing him in the frontcourt in "small ball" lineups with 5-star freshman Cameron Williams at the five could give Duke a devastating offensive group without sacrificing a ton defensively due to Dioubate's versatility.
Determining what Dioubate wants in the portal will be key to his recruitment. He left Alabama in search of a bigger role, and he didn't really find that at Kentucky. He'd be looking at a similar role as Brown had with Duke, which obviously led to accolades for the former Syracuse transfer.
If that's appealing to him, then Duke could be on his shortlist, and he'd be a player who would impact winning in Durham.