Adou Thiero returned from injury, and gave Kentucky basketball a needed physical presence
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Game day: No. 6 Kentucky 63, Arkansas 57
Click below for more of the Herald-Leader’s and Kentucky.com’s coverage of Saturday’s men’s basketball game between Kentucky and Arkansas at Fayetteville, Ark.
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Kentucky men’s basketball has a physical presence back in its rotation.
Sophomore standout Adou Thiero — who had missed Kentucky’s last seven games with a lingering back injury — returned to game action Saturday night in UK’s six-point road win at Arkansas.
Thiero scored one point and hauled in six rebounds in the victory. He also recorded a block in 12 minutes of action. Thiero missed all five of his shots from the field.
In his return to action, Thiero started for the Cats against the Razorbacks.
On UK’s pregame radio show, John Calipari said freshman Justin Edwards sustained a leg injury in a recent practice. While the injury wasn’t bad enough to rule Edwards completely out of the Arkansas game, Thiero started in Edwards’ place.
Thiero has now started in nine of the 11 games he’s played for Kentucky this season.
Thiero’s return to the court for the Wildcats came while freshman guard Rob Dillingham missed Saturday’s game due to illness.
Thiero had returned to Kentucky practices last week, and Calipari said on his weekly radio show Wednesday night that Thiero would play against Arkansas if he practiced on both Thursday and Friday.
That all fell into place, and Thiero is available to play against the Hogs.
Thiero’s continued absence meant the Wildcats have been short an experienced, physical presence for all of SEC play so far.
Thiero — who entered Saturday’s game with averages of 7.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per contest this season — had last played for Kentucky in a rivalry win at Louisville on Dec. 21. He also missed UK’s second game of the season against Texas A&M-Commerce while in concussion protocol.
The Wildcats went 6-2 (4-2 in SEC games) without Thiero, but it’s been clear Calipari’s team missed the physical edge the 6-foot-8 (and still growing) Thiero provides.
“The energy he brings, it’s second to none,” fifth-year forward Tre Mitchell said Friday afternoon about Thiero. “Some of the plays he makes that are some really good plays and it provides a spark for our team and we feed off of that. On top of that, Adou is one of the strongest people on this team. He’s not afraid to get physical, he’s not afraid to put his body on the line.”
“That’s part of the reason why he wasn’t with us for a minute, is because he was leaving absolutely everything out there and sacrificing himself for this team.”
Thiero’s two best performances this season — a 16-point, 13-rebound effort against Kansas and a four-block outing against North Carolina — are indicative of what he can provide the Cats.
“Adou does all the stuff that we need,” freshman center Aaron Bradshaw added about Thiero. “He blocks shots. He goes for rebounds He attacks the rim. And he can shoot.”
This story was originally published January 27, 2024 at 5:42 PM.
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