Adou Thiero to play vs. Kansas, updates on Ivisic, Bradshaw and Onyenso

John Calipari provided both good and bad news ahead of Kentucky’s trip to Chicago for the Champions Classic, injury and eligibility clarity on four missing Wildcats. The biggest update? One crucial piece is expected to return to the lineup against No. 1 Kansas.

Adou Thiero, who missed Kentucky’s most recent victory over Texas A&M-Commerce while in concussion protocol, will be healthy against the Jayhawks.

“I believe Adou will be fine,” Calipari announced Monday. “… In this game, if we didn’t have Adou, it would be really hard.”

“I believe Adou (Thiero) will be fine.”

John Calipari adds that Bradshaw and Onyenso will not play against Kansas.

An update on Big Z from the NCAA should come in the coming days. Says he *could* get cleared in time for tomorrow’s game.

— Zack Geoghegan (@ZGeogheganKSR) November 13, 2023

Thiero went down with a head injury in Kentucky’s season-opening victory vs. New Mexico State. Calipari previously announced he was “day-to-day” after a hard hit on the hardwood knocked him out of the game early in the second half. Now, he’s expected to return — and not a minute too soon.

Updates on Kentucky’s trio of bigs

As for the bad news, Aaron Bradshaw and Ugonna Onyenso will not be back in time for the matchup, as expected.

“The other guys, Aaron will not and Ugonna will not.”

Calipari said last week the former was a week or two away from being a full participant at practice while the latter remained two weeks behind that. It would’ve taken a miracle for either to suit up against Kansas, one we can now officially rule out.

Calipari did not, however, rule out Zvonimir Ivisic against the Jayhawks — a somewhat positive update. Though he has not yet been ruled eligible by the NCAA, the Kentucky head coach says his “hope is they have enough info to make a decision before the game tomorrow.”

One way or another, clarity is expected soon.

“We’ve got to hear on Z in the next couple of days,” Calipari said. “You guys know what the rule is, the NCAA has 45 days to make a judgment from the time he gets here. There are still a couple of weeks left in that.

“If we’d gotten him in earlier, we would know. But it is what it is. It’s not the NCAA. They’ve got a choice. They get information, ask questions, get answers, ask questions from the club and everybody.”

Calipari said Ivisic has only practiced “six days, maybe seven since he’s been here” because he got hurt and dealt with food poisoning. So it’ll be a process regardless. That being said, “it would be nice to throw him in the game and reward him for all he’s been through.”

“He’s a basketball player, but the roughness of the game and all of that stuff, he’ll be behind. Conditioning, he’ll be behind.”

Through the hurdles, slowly but surely, Kentucky is inching closer to full strength.