Adou Thiero is Kentucky Wildcats’ Swiss Army man: College Basketball Preview

The sophomore guard will play a key role for this Kentucky team, thanks to his unique versatility.

• By
  
  Zac Oakes
  
• on November 5, 2023 9:20 pm

One of the biggest storylines of the offseason has been the growth of Kentucky Wildcats sophomore guard Adou Thiero.

Growth both physically and in terms of his skills.

The sophomore will look to build off a freshman campaign in which he showed some glimpses of his ability but was still developing physically.

#3 Adou Thiero

• Position: Shooting guard
• Class: Sophomore
• Measurements: 6-foot-8, 222 lbs.
• Hometown: Leetsdale, PA
• School: Quaker Valley
• High School Recruit Rankings: No. 169 nationally and No. 25 CG via 247 Sports Composite.

Coming out of high school, Adou Thiero was not a top recruit. The 6-foot-5, 180-pound combo guard was viewed by most recruiting services as a three-star prospect with a limited offer sheet.

His father, Almamy Thiero, played for John Calipari at Memphis, so the connection was there, and Calipari and the coaching staff saw a player still growing into his body but with guard skills.

As a freshman, Thiero saw action in 20 games, showcasing his defensive skills by leading the team in steals in four of those games and leading the team in blocks in three games.

Thiero’s best performance came in arguably Kentucky’s biggest win of the season at Arkansas, where he recorded a season-high seven points, five rebounds, two assists, and a steal.

Still, Adou clearly needed some development and more time in the gym.

In the offseason, he has done just that.

Adou is now listed at 6-foot-8 and 222 pounds and looks completely different than a season ago. At his size, with guard skills, he will create a lot of mismatches on the floor.

On the court, despite his limited experience last season, Thiero will be a veteran on this young Kentucky team.

Those defensive abilities are still there, and now at his size, Thiero will have the ability to guard multiple positions on the floor. That versatility and ability to play multiple positions should lead to a much-expanded role.

That’s become even more paramount with the absence of Aaron Bradshaw and Ugonna Onyenso due to injury, while Zvonimir Ivisic has yet to be cleared by the NCAA. Thiero has spent a lot of time at the 4 spot in the exhibition season, and that figures to continue as long as those other three big men are out.

Another area Thiero should make a big impact at is finishing around the rim, according to John Calipari.

“The role I have been talking to Adou about is to be a finisher, whether it’s a jump shot or a drive for a basket. He’s strong. He literally could be one of the…