Adou Thiero, Arkansas's leading scorer and Pittsburgh native (go to Pitt Adou), is doubtful to play in their First Round Game vs. Kansas, according to Jon Rothstein via Mr. Jon Calipari. Adou bids adieu to the First Round because of a lingering knee injury. He has not played a game since February 22nd, and many, including me, believed he was going to return to play in the First Round game against Kansas. But he is not.
Kansas and Arkansas played in an exhibition game before the season started and now meet in a game where the record is counted in the record books. I'm interested to see how the game is impacted without him on the floor. Things might open a little bit more for Hunter Dickinson, Kansas's star Center, inside. Without Thiero, there is a level of rebounding that Arkansas is missing that might hurt the Razorbacks.
“Not this week. If we advance, we’ll see.”
— ESPN Arkansas & HitThatLine.com (@HitThatLineAR) March 17, 2025
- Cal on Adou Thiero coming back
Arkansas has kept afloat since his absence and snuck their way into the NCAA Tournament. There was a point in the year when it looked like the Razorbacks were not going to make it there. Thiero is certainly a big-time player who the Razorbacks probably hope returns next season as well. He does have a year of eligibility left, so either season in Fayetteville is a possibility for the power forward from Pittsburgh. But if you ask Thiero/anyone who's an Arkansas supporter, they will say they want him back for a game in the second round against either St. John's or Omaha.
He's averaging 15.6 PPG and 6.0 RPG. Thiero Transferred over from Kentucky after John Calipari left for Arkansas, and he's produced a lot for the Razorbacks. On a more serious note, even if he hasn't produced big numbers for the Razorbacks, his health is what's important not what he does in a game or if he can play in the game. I think that is something really important that everyone should know and consider. I hope he's okay.