Adou Thiero cuts list to five, includes Kentucky

Could Mark Pope return one key piece from Kentucky’s current roster? The Wildcats remain in the running for Adou Thiero, who cut his list to five and included the program who gave him his first shot in college.

Thiero’s final five? Kentucky, North Carolina, Pitt, Indiana and, yes, Arkansas under John Calipari.

ESPN’s Jeff Borzello broke the news Friday morning three weeks after the sophomore forward entered the transfer portal while testing the draft waters.

NEWS: Kentucky transfer Adou Thiero is down to five schools, sources told ESPN.

Pitt
North Carolina
Arkansas
Kentucky
Indiana

Averaged 7.2 points and 5.0 rebounds this past season. Started 19 games. Projected as a first-round pick in the 2025 NBA draft.

— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) April 19, 2024

Thiero initially put his name in the portal before announcing he’d be keeping all of his options open, including a potential return to Kentucky — at the time, though, under Coach Cal.

“After talking to Coach Calipari, I feel it is best at this time to test the waters professionally, entering my name in the 2024 NBA Draft, while keeping all of my options open, including a return to Kentucky,” he said. “I’d like to thank the fans, my coaches and teammates for their support over the last two years. I look forward to going through this process to determine the next step for me.”

The standout forward has until May 29 to withdraw from the 2024 NBA Draft and return to college, the likely path considering his status as a potential first-rounder in 2025. He’s not currently listed on any boards or best-available lists for the upcoming draft.

The 6-foot-8 sophomore averaged 7.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.1 steals this past season in 21.3 minutes per contest. He finished the year shooting 49.2% from the field, 31.8% from three and 80.0% at the line.

Will he be bringing his talents back to Lexington? It appears Mark Pope is giving it a shot.