There were a lot of reasons to be worried for Kentucky Wildcats fans going into Saturday’s match-up with the Auburn Tigers. For one thing, Auburn just doesn’t lose at home. For another, Kentucky has struggled against good teams in the SEC, and the defense had let them down multiple times.
A third big concern for Wildcats fans was the absence of forward Tre Mitchell. Kentucky is a very young team, and Mitchell was one of only a couple of veteran players on the roster. He has been not only a leader, but he’s been a very good scorer, rebounder and passer. It was a lot to ask Adou Thiero to step in and replace what Mitchell normally brings. Thiero, as it turns out, was up to the challenge.
Thiero played 32 minutes on Saturday, tied for his most this season. He scored 14 big points, and added 8 rebounds. His defense inside, and toughness was also a big reason for the win.
The Wildcats played their best defense of the season against Auburn and Thiero’s play was a part of that. With Mitchell potentially being sidelined for longer, he Sophomore will be counted on to fill that void. If Saturday was any indication, he should be ready to go.