Tag: Adou Thiero

Former Kentucky guard joining John Calipari in Arkansas

Former New Jersey guard DJ Wanger has committed to Arkansas.

After a solid freshman season for the University of Kentucky, D.J. Wagner will have a new home next season. One of the top guards to emerge from New Jersey over the past decade, Wagner will follow John Calipari to Arkansas out of the transfer portal.

In his only season at Kentucky, Wagner averaged 9.9 points and 3.3 assists per game. He was also named the SEC Freshman of the Week three times and was a member of the All-SEC team. While. Wagner now has to adjust to a new team; he will not be the only player with Kentucky ties on the roster.

Wagner, a consensus five-star recruit, could have been an interesting fit at Rutgers. But Arkansas is a stronger pathway to playing time given how deep the Rutgers backcourt is currently.

Wagner will be joining two former Wildcats in Adou Thiero and Zvonimir Ivisic. Since Calipari left Kentucky for Arkansas, three players entered the transfer portal after Calipari left Kentucky for a new program.

DJ Wagner has committed to Arkansas, per @ArRecruitingGuy pic.twitter.com/n52T1SYSIo

— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) May 27, 2024

 

As Wagner looks to take his game to the next level, he will have a head coach to rely on who he is comfortable with. Even though Wagner struggled at times last year, Calipari continued to give him chances. Towards the end of the season, he rewarded his coach’s faith, scoring at least 10 points in three of his final six games.

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In that span, Wagner made 10 three-pointers. 

In his first year with Arkansas, Wagner will need to be consistent as with Kentucky, he struggled to score at times. In the first round of March Madness, Wagner did not score a point in Kentucky’s 80-76 loss to Oakland.

If he can take a developmental leap in his second season in the SEC, then Wagner could be a very good fit with Arkansas.

Former Kentucky Wildcat Adou Thiero commits to Arkansas Razorbacks

Former Kentucky basketball player Adou Thiero commits to the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Forward Adou Thiero was the first member of last year’s Kentucky basketball team to enter the transfer portal. Most of the other players have already picked their destination, but Thiero has finally made his choice too. He’s headed to the Arkansas Razorbacks to link back up with former Wildcats coach John Calipari.

Last season, Thiero played in 25 games, starting 19 of them. He averaged 7.2 points and 5 rebounds per game while bringing a toughness that Kentucky needed more of. He also had a number of thunderous dunks that Wildcats fans loved.

Many analysts thought Thiero would choose Pittsburgh, but he ended up choosing to stay with Calipari. Coach Cal’s record of getting players drafted may have been a part of the decision.

There were some fans who held out hope that Thiero would return to Kentucky since he entered the portal before the coaching change. However, new coach Mark Pope filled the frontcourt with talent, and it was clear he’d go elsewhere.

Thiero was a fan favorite, and Big Blue Nation will certainly wish him the best, even if he’s going to play for Calipari.

Adou Thiero transfers to Arkansas from Kentucky

Vanderbilt may be the Harvard of the South, but Arkansas is the Kentucky of the West. At least in Year One of the Calipari regime.

Former Kentucky forward Adou Thiero has committed to Arkansas out of the transfer portal, per the news Monday.

Thiero, a 6-foot-8 traditional forward from Pennsylvania, played two seasons at Kentucky under coach John Calipari. Calipari was hired at Arkansas in April, replacing Eric Musselman, who left for Southern California. 

With the Wildcats, Thiero broke out during his sophomore year last season. He averaged 7.2 points, 5 rebounds and more than a block per game in 25 games, 19 of which were starts. He also shot 49% from the floor, 32% from 3-point range and 80% from the free-throw line.

Thiero was the No. 10 transfer portal in the portal, according to 247Sports, and was being recruited by North Carolina, Indiana and Pittsburgh, in addition to Kentucky coach Mark Pope attempting to get him to stay.

Calipari has now landed three former Kentucky players and three former Kentucky high-school commits since taking the job at Arkansas. The Razorbacks have six scholarship spots remaining on the roster.

Forward Adou Theiro is entering the transfer portal

Adou Theiro is set to enter the transfer portal

The Kentucky Wildcats men’s basketball season ended in round one of the NCAA Tournament. With the season over, fans awaited NBA decisions from some players, and potential transfer decisions from others. On Thursday, Adou Thiero has reportedly opted for the latter.

As a Sophomore this season, Thiero was an important part of the rotation. He averaged seven points and five rebounds, and provided a toughness the team needed.

Thiero became a fan favorite last season, in equal parts due to his tough play and his highlight reel dunks. The former three-star recruit found a niche with the team, and his playing time increased because of it.

Fans will undoubtedly be disappointed by the news of Thiero’s pending transfer. It was hoped that he’d be back as a veteran leader of next year’s team, which will have a lot of young players once again. Now, it seems he’ll be elsewhere next year, and fans will have to wait and see if more players join him in the portal over the next few weeks.

Kentucky G Adou Thiero enters transfer portal

Could Texas recruit Kentucky transfer Adou Thiero?

Kentucky guard Adou Thiero has entered the transfer portal. The talented guard could be worth consideration for Texas head coach Rodney Terry.

Thiero isn’t necessarily a game changer, but would be a good addition for a team that needs more than it got last year in the transfer portal.

The 6-foot-8 guard added 7.2 points and 5.0 rebounds per game in 2023. The height alone should warrant a look at the sophomore guard’s film.

Texas’ loss to Tennessee made apparent one key flaw for the Longhorns’ roster. The team’s lack of height prevented it from scoring at the basket against Tennessee rim protectors. They could see more of that in the SEC if they fail to get taller across the board. The SEC is a tall league.

Whether or not Texas adds Thiero, it will need role players who can step up and score when its primary scorers go cold. Thiero’s rebounding ability is an added bonus.

Texas has an opportunity to get a head start in the transfer portal over teams still playing in the NCAA tournament. We will monitor the Longhorns’ portal pursuit over the next couple months.

Three Wildcats chosen in way-too-early ESPN 2025 NBA mock draft

Three Kentucky players are in ESPN’s way-too-early 2025 NBA mock draft.

The 2023-24 college basketball season is winding down for the Kentucky Wildcats, and some fans are already talking about this year’s NBA Draft. Mock Drafts have begun to circulate, and it appears as though multiple Wildcats will be chosen.

Taking a look at 2024 mock drafts is always fun, but one ESPN analyst has taken it a step further, and is looking ahead to 2025. Jonathan Givony has taken a stab at next year’s NBA Draft (story requires subscription) and Kentucky is represented.

To complete the exercise, Givony ruled out any players he had in his 2024 mock draft. Then he put his prediction together with the names on his “available” list.

The first Wildcat on Givony’s list is forward Adou Thiero at pick 27. A guard last season, Thiero shot up and is now a physical specimen. His game is still developing, but he has untapped potential and could go much higher.

Zvonimir Ivisic was up next at pick 40. “Big Z” wasn’t declared as eligible until conference play had begun, and defensively, is still a work in progress. However, his offensive skill-set may get him drafted this year.

The third player from Kentucky on the list is center Aaron Bradshaw at pick 44. He’s another hugely talented player who needs refinement, especially on defense. He also needs to simply get stronger.

As the 2024 Draft gets closer, and we find out who is going pro and who is staying, it becomes easier to make 2025 predictions. For now, it’s just an exercise, but even so far away, it is fun.

Adou Thiero comes up big versus Auburn

Kentucky forward Adou Thiero was a big part of the Wildcats win over the Auburn Tigers on Saturday.

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.

Kentucky vs Gonzaga: Quotes from the post-game

Players and coaches had some things to say after Kentucky’s loss to Gonzaga on Saturday

Another big game, and its another loss for the Kentucky Wildcats men’s basketball team, who are in a full-blow free fall. They have now lost four of their last six games, and still have more questions than answers.

The offense remains one of the nation’s best, but the struggles with defense and rebounding are still hurting them in nearly every game they play. There have also been communication issues, which have allowed opponents to continually take advantage of poor rotations, something Gonzaga exploited a lot on Saturday.

After the loss, head coach John Calipari had some thoughts on the game, as did a few of the players. Here are some quotes from the post-game for Coach Cal and others.