FOX Sports’ Aaron Torres believes Arkansas head basketball coach John Calipari has a “college hoops” Draymond Green on his Razorbacks roster: Kentucky transfer Adou Thiero, who had 23 points, six rebounds, and two assists.
“Said it last year and I’ll say it again: Adou Thiero is college hoops Draymond Green. Can defend multiple positions. Makes all the little plays. And is turning into a star before our eyes. Know its only Pacific. But Arkansas – missing two key guys – looked much better tonight,” Torres tweeted.
While Thiero’s stat line was more Jaylen Brown than Draymond, there’s no denying the jack-of-all-trades abilities the Pittsburgh native possesses.
Calipari claimed that there weren’t 10 better players than Thiero that he’s aware of.
“Let me say… I probably shouldn’t say it but I will… if there are 10 better players in the country than Adou, I need you to show them to me,” Calipari said (h/t HawgBeat). “Who are they? Like, he’s a unicorn physically, now. You don’t have guys like him that are good enough with the ball.”
Hogs forward Zvonimir Ivisic called Thiero “special.”
“Adou, I don’t think there’s another player like Adou,” Ivisic said. “He’s just special. The way he moves, the way he runs. His motor, his will, it’s just amazing.”
One Kentucky analyst feels that Thiero and Ivisic being the Razorbacks’ best players, and not Johnell Davis, limits their ceiling.
“Much better offensive performance by Arkansas tonight. Put up 1.2 points per possession after essentially averaging 1.0 so far this year. Adou Thiero & Zvonimir Ivisic continue to do good things. However, until Johnell Davis emerges as the GUY, I’m not sure what the ceiling is,” KSR’s Brandon Ramsey tweeted.
If the Hogs are still not at full strength and playing this well, the SEC may have a problem on its hands in 2024-25.
Both he and Kentucky’s administration appeared to see the writing on the wall and came to an agreement that allowed both parties to part ways amicably. Cal decided to leave for Arkansas, which in turn allowed the Wildcats to avoid his buyout. With a defining chapter in Kentucky’s rich history closed, attention turned to who would next be tasked with leading the Wildcats.
After a month-long coaching search which saw names like UConn’s Dan Hurley and Baylor’s Scott Drew floated around, Kentucky eventually settled on BYU’s Mark Pope. Pope had strong connections to the Bluegrass state, as he was part of Kentucky’s 1996 national championship-winning team. Still, the hire split the fanbase, as Pope lacked the pedigree of the bigger names that were supposedly linked to the job.
Pope had never led a team past the first round of the NCAA Tournament, and many questioned if the jump from BYU to Kentucky was too much too soon. What these critics didn’t know at the time, though, was that Pope understood what it takes in the modern era of college athletics to build a competitive roster.
With much of Kentucky’s prior talent either following Calipari to Arkansas or declaring for the NBA draft, Pope turned to the transfer portal to construct his squad. He brought in several seasoned veterans from across the nation, but more importantly, he brought in players he knew would fit together.
Guys like Koby Brea and Amari Williams came in from smaller mid-major programs, while Andrew Carr transferred in from Wake Forest and the team’s current leading scorer, Otega Oweh, came from Oklahoma. Few questioned the experience this group brought to the table, but there were concerns over whether or not they had the talent to compete in arguably the nation’s deepest conference.
These concerns were wiped away last week, though, as Kentucky went toe-to-toe with national-title favorite Duke on Nov. 12 and came away with a 77-72 victory. The Wildcats’ new additions played a key role in the win, and the team looked like a well-oiled machine that had been playing together for the past four years.
Any Wildcats fan will tell you that in years past under Calipari, a game like that was a likely loss. A team of inexperienced freshmen in their first major game on national TV would have folded under the pressure. Instead, the seasoned group of veterans that Pope collected played off each others’ strengths and looked the part of national-championship contenders.
Pope’s construction of this roster has proven that Calipari’s philosophies are outdated. To win a national title in this day and age, you need more than just overwhelming talent. You need veteran leadership, and more importantly, you need a roster that plays off each member’s strengths.
Pope seems to understand this in a way that Calipari either couldn’t or wouldn’t. Calipari will always be celebrated in Kentucky basketball, but it’s clear now that Pope is the way forward.
Leave a Reply