Adou Thiero was also Robbed of a Clutch Moment at LSU

Of the many talking points following another disappointing Kentucky basketball, one stands out above the rest. The Wildcats wasted another enormous Rob Dillingham game in a loss. He wasn’t the only player robbed of a big moment.

The dilapidated Kentucky defense strung together five consecutive halves of exceptional basketball, giving the BBN hope for a late-season turnaround. Adou Thiero is a big reason why.

The 6-foot-8 sophomore from Pittsburgh is one of many Wildcats who has missed multiple games due to injury. Since he returned to the action, his physicality and versatility have filled in a big blank for the Kentucky defense. Thiero’s ability to switch onto seemingly any opponent came in clutch for the Cats Wednesday night.

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Two Thiero Stops in the Final 30 Seconds

LSU called a timeout with a one-point lead and a little more than 30 seconds left in the game. A bucket could end the game. Matt McMahon drew up a play for his go-to guy down the stretch, Jordan Wright.

The 6-foot-6 wing delivered in clutch moments for LSU over the past two games. He hit go-ahead free throws at South Carolina and handed Kentucky a loss at the buzzer a year ago as a Vanderbilt Commodore. Wright was going to take the big shot, except he never got it off.

Adou Thiero switched onto Wright following a ball screen, then stripped the ball from his hands before Wright could get a shot off.

After a Kentucky timeout, Dillingham made the shot to give Kentucky a lead. The Cats were prepared to get one more stop. Calipari instructed his team to take a shot early enough to potentially rebound a miss. Adou Thiero was ready to defend. Unfortunately, his teammates were not.

Thiero knew Wright was going to take the shot. As soon as Wright started driving downhill, Thiero abandoned his man to block the shot. He swatted it with two hands right back to Wright, who heaved the ball into the air. The Cats were ball-watching as Tyrell Ward corralled it and tipped the ball in for the game-winning score.

It was a textbook Adou Thiero box score. He filled up the stat sheet everywhere with 8 points, 9 rebounds, 4 blocks, 2 steals, and 2 assists. He was also the only player not named Rob Dillingham to make a field goal in the final 13 minutes of the game. Thiero was prepared to make winning plays for the Wildcats, but it just wasn’t enough.