Meet the 2022-23 Kentucky Wildcats: Freshman Adou Thiero could help UK both now and later
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Need to know: Where every Wildcat fits for 2022-23
Meet every member of the University of Kentucky men’s basketball team through a series of preseason stories.
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We’re getting to know all 15 of the 2022-23 Kentucky Wildcats. Here is what to expect from one of the UK freshmen. Watch Kentucky.com for stories about all of the remaining Cats as the preseason unfolds.
Adou Thiero
Uniform number: 3.
Height/weight: 6-6, 200.
Position: Guard.
Class: Freshman.
Age: 18.
Hometown: Leetsdale, Pa.
High school: Quaker Valley.
Thiero’s role in 2022-23: Going into summer workouts, there were basically zero immediate expectations for Thiero, an under-the-radar recruit who blossomed as a high school senior, thanks in large part to a growth spurt that gave him point guard skills in a 6-6 frame.
From what he’s shown this preseason, Thiero might actually be able to carve out a role in year one. Recruited as more of a long-term contributor, he’s clearly been better than even Kentucky’s coaches thought he’d be. Thiero has a 6-11 wingspan and was measured with a 41-inch vertical leap at UK’s Pro Day this fall. He plays hard and is seemingly unafraid to mix it up with bigger, stronger players, both battling for rebounds and getting into the paint to try and block shots.
As stacked as this Kentucky roster appears to be, it’s unlikely Thiero will play major minutes as a freshman — especially as the competition picks up later in the season — but his mix of length, athleticism and positional versatility could lead to some minutes as an energy guy off the bench.
Thiero said doctors have told him he could ultimately get to 6-11 in height, so he’s a young player with intriguing possibilities down the road, but it won’t be surprising if he gets an opportunity to show some flashes of his game right away.
This story was originally published November 2, 2022 at 3:00 PM.
