Roundtable: What to expect from Adou Thiero
Over the weekend Kentucky landed a commitment from three-star combo guard Adou Thiero of Sewickley (Pa.) Quaker Valley. During the John Calipari era five star commitments have been vastly more common than three-star pledges, so it's only natural that fans might wonder what the forecast is for Thiero, who has grown 10 inches since he started high school.
Cats Illustrated writers bring their takes on what Kentucky fans should expect from Thiero, next year and into the future.
Jeff Drummond: I've not seen as much of Adou Thiero as David and Travis have, but I really like what I've seen of him on video clips and what I've heard about him from those who are more familiar with him on and off the court. I'm of the opinion that you can't have enough long, athletic guys on the wings. You can do a lot of different things, just with his physical toolset. He seems to have legit scoring skills. I'm not sure why he isn't rated higher, but I don't think it matters. I've long suggested UK could use more scholarships on guys who aren't at the top of their class. I also like the fact that his father played for John Calipari and will know exactly what is expected of his son. It doesn't sound like he'll be obsessed with one-and-done or looking for a transfer portal exit if things don't develop immediately for him at UK.
Travis Graf: I think this is a low risk, high reward situation for John Calipari here with the addition of Adou Thiero. He’s going to immediately provide a versatile body in practice that can give you looks at different positions. He’s a late bloomer without a refined skill set at this time, so there’s plenty of ways that Kentucky could try to angle his development pattern over the next couple of years. Could he develop into a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander type of big, lanky guard that plays at a great pace, or could he be a 3&D wing? The opportunities for multiple avenues are there. I think he’s a player who could play very meaningful minutes as a sophomore and be a really good player from that point on.
David Sisk: I do not see a downside in a Adou Thiero commitment. There are naysayers out there because he isn’t a highly rated prospect and that is understandable. Worst case scenario here; let’s say he isn’t able to contribute. If that’s the case he’s not staying at Kentucky for four years and taking up space, especially with the transfer portal. Those types are usually gone within two years.
On the other hand, Thiero has a chance to be a player at Kentucky. I spoke with an assistant coach whose program offered Thiero. He compared him to K.Z. Okpala who played at Stanford. He was under the radar as a recruit, played two years in college, and was drafted in the second round of the 2019 NBA Draft. He currently plays with the Miami Heat. Thiero has a very high ceiling, and could blow up in college just like Okpala did. He could also still grow. From looking at his family picture the first thing that stood out is how tall his mom is. Let’s give it some time and see how he develops. If things turn out right the John Calipari got a steal.
Justin Rowland: What's the downside? As David said, especially with the transfer portal there seems to be no downside. I really like guys who are peaking at the right time and it seems like Thiero is taking his game to another level and just starting to scratch the surface. I'm not saying he'll be a prodigy but you have to have guys like this with a couple of years of college under their belt. Getting there is a different story as we know guys have tended to not stick around under Calipari. It does seem like Thiero knows what he's getting into from the start so that could bode well in terms of him sticking around if he's not immediately a major contributor.