Nashville–There was one guy on the floor of Bridgestone Arena on Friday night that was playing at a significant disadvantage.
You could never tell, though.
Alabama forward Mouhamed Dioubate–an outspoken Muslim, who has been fasting since his youth– is in the midst of a 30-day fast that causes him to abstain from eating or drinking anything from dawn until sunset as a result of the month of Ramadan. Despite the sacrifice he made in the name of his religion, Dioubate went for 13 points and eight rebounds in Alabama’s late-night win over Kentucky.
“You gotta be strong in the fast,” Dioubate said. “It’s not easy. You gotta have a strong faith. That’s how you’re gonna get through it, if you have a strong faith. Your focus level is on a different level.”
That appeared to be applicable for the Alabama forward as he walked into its locker room wearing its honorary hard hat award towards the end of the SEC’s mandated open locker room period.
Dioubate wasn’t Alabama’s leading scorer on Friday night, but nearly doubled his season average in points and exceeded his season average in rebounding, as well. Alabama and Kentucky tipped off at 9:30 local time–which meant Dioubate could break his fast prior to tip off as a result of the sun setting–but it didn’t fail to leave an impression on his teammates.
“It’s crazy impressive,” Alabama guard Aden Holloway told Southeastern 16. “Especially the position he plays, being super physical, having a battle with the bigs on the other team every game. I don’t know how he does it.”
He just does, though.
He’ll do it again on Saturday as Alabama tips off against Florida at 2:30 central time, that one will be a more significant test in thee regard that Dioubate will have to wait until after the game to eat his first meal since the sunrise.
“I don’t believe I could do that,” Alabama center Cliff Omoruyi told Southeastern 16. “He’s a tough dude. We all knew that before. He’s a tough guy.”
Dioubate started his fast on Mar. 1, the day of Alabama’s loss to Tennessee. Since then, he’s played over 15 minutes in each game while maintaining his fast. Each of the three games ahead of Friday’s came between dawn and sunset, meaning Dioubate has had to play without food or water.
Alabama has tried its best to support Dioubate by tasking Director of Sports Performance and Nutrition Amanda Branson with working in meals for the Queens, NY, native between sunset and sunrise and vice versa. Dioubate and Branson have started to find ways to navigate his fast after his freshman season that included fasting during Alabama’s Final Four run.
“I just told Amanda, ‘Don’t wake me up when you wake up Mo,’” Alabama coach Nate Oats joked. “He’ll be up before the rest of us to make sure he’s eating. But, he seemed to handle it pretty well last year.”
Dioubate is one of college basketball’s few fasting players alongside former Alabama forward Mohamed Wague, Cal center Mady Sissoko and St. John’s forward Sadiku Ibine.
The percentage of players in the predicament that those four are is miniscule in the total landscape of the sport, but Dioubate doesn’t view the task they have ahead of them as insurmountable.
“I’m kinda used to it now, It’s kind of become a little easier for me,” Dioubate said. “I’ve been practicing since I was like nine or 10 years old and I’ve been doing it my whole life.”
This isn’t just routine for Dioubate, though. You can’t fast in a setting like this just as a result of routine. You’ve gotta have something inside of you pushing you to do it.
Dioubate does.
“It’s important to me,” he said. “I’m big in my faith.”
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