Brought along by John Calipari to SEC Media Days in Birmingham, Alabama, it’s clear that junior wing Adou Thiero is a player that Coach Cal trusts to be a leader as a part of his Arkansas Razorbacks. Ranked 40th on ESPN’s Top 100 Prospects list, Thiero, who will be 21 by the 2024 NBA Draft, is an athletic prospect and showed this prowess last season with the Kentucky Wildcats.
In 21.4 minutes per game last season, Thiero averaged 7.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.8 stocks per game as a high-energy wing that attacks the glass as well as he does anything else. Upon watching his film, his best attribute is his motor, as he plays a relentless style of basketball in the paint that predicates itself on grabbing misses/scoring on put-backs, as well as occasionally driving the basket off of his handle.
He has some work to do on the defensive end, as he can be caught out of place sometimes, and is also prone to ball watching. In Kentucky’s game against Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament, there were several possessions on which he let up open shots due to being in the wrong spot. A positive note here however is that he blocks a lot of shots for a small forward – 1.1 per game – meaning that, when combined with his physical attributes, there is potential for him to defend in the NBA. His perimeter defense needs improvement, though, which will come with time…