Kentucky forward Adou Thiero enters NCAA transfer portal

Matt Connollyby:Matt Connolly03/28/24

MattConnollyOn3

Kentucky forward Adou Thiero has entered the NCAA transfer portal, according to On3’s Jamie Shaw.

The sophomore appeared in 25 games this past season, making 19 starts. He helped Kentucky earn a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

You can watch the tournament live on Prime Video, add on your favorite channels and watch at home or on your phone and laptop at work! 

Adou Thiero averaged 7.2 points and 5.0 rebounds per game in 2023-24. He shot 49.2 percent from the field and 80 percent from the free throw line. He would have been a big piece of the Wildcats roster in 2024-25 but it now appears as though he won’t be a part of the program.

Thiero signed with Kentucky as a three-star recruit and the No. 265 overall player in the country in the class of 2022, according to the On3 Industry rankings. He appeared in 20 games as a true freshman, recording 2.3 points and 1.9 rebounds per game.

This past season Adou Thiero had a much bigger role, serving as a starter in several games for the Wildcats.

Prior to coming to Kentucky Adou Thiero attended Quaker Valley High School. As a senior there, he averaged 23.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 3.9 steals and 2.3 blocks per game.

Thiero played only seven minutes in the NCAA Tournament against Oakland, a game that Kentucky lost 80-76. He finished with 2 points and 1 assist on the night.

John Calipari ‘hurt most’ by fans traveling to see Oakland upset

It has been a tough week for Kentucky fans as the Wildcats were upset by Oakland in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and have now lost Adou Thiero to the transfer portal.

There’s been a whole lot going on at Kentucky in recent days, what with John Calipari being brought back for another season by athletics director Mitch Barnhart.

Big Blue Nation is anxiously awaiting to see what kind of changes Calipari will make in an effort to turn the program around after it has stagnated in recent years. Calipari knows nothing less than success in March will appease the fans.

“My standard has always been that you’re making a deep run,” he said. “You’re one of those teams that seem to be going in as one of those teams [that could win it all] but we got knocked off. … What hurt me the most was losing that game and knowing fans traveled, knowing they traveled to the SEC [Tournament] and they spent money — maybe money they didn’t have to be there. I know that I’ve never taken it lightly.”