The UK sophomore entered the transfer portal on March 28.
After 6-foot-8 forward/guard Adou Thiero committed to the Razorbacks on Monday, he became the latest Wildcat to follow head coach John Calipari to Arkansas.
He visited Pittsburgh and Arkansas, and he was seen in Lexington talking with Herbert Davis, the head coach of North Carolina, but he ultimately decided to stay with Calipari, who previously coached his father, Almamy Thiero, at Memphis.
After playing limited minutes as a freshman at Kentucky, averaging just 2.3 points per game with 1.9 rebounds, Thiero put on 22 pounds and even grew two inches, helping him become the Wildcat’s most physical player this past season.
He missed eight games due to injury but when healthy, played in 25 games and started 19, in which he averaged 7.2 points per game, 5.0 rebounds, 1.1 blocks, and 1.1 assists. He shot 49.2 percent from the field and 31.8 percent from three and became the Cats’ most reliable lob threat.
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Thiero logged a double-double, scoring 16 points and pulling down 13 rebounds in the UK’s Champions Classic loss to Kansas, had 15 points in a loss to Gonzaga, and scored 14 while pulling down eight rebounds in a road win over Auburn.
He will have two years of remaining eligibility but is widely considered a projected first round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
The Pittsburgh native, who ranks fifth among transfer portal prospects and as the 31st best player overall, is the second former Wildcat to join Zvonimir Ivisic as a former Wildcat to leave Arkansas after Calipari.Additionally, Calipari signed Karter Knox, Billy Richmond, and Boogie Fland, three players from his class of 2024 who had originally decided to attend Kentucky.
Along with Ivisic (Arkansas), Jay Hart (Ball State), and Aaron Bradshaw (Ohio State), Thiero is the fourth of seven 2023–24 Wildcats to use the transfer site in search of a new home.D.J. Wagner, Ugonna Onyenso, and Jordan Burks are still undecided.
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