After following John Calipari from Kentucky to Arkansas, Thiero became one of the nation’s better wings. He’s a dynamic, powerful athlete, helping him dominate as a slasher, foul-drawer and defender at the college level. Thiero’s outside shooting and offensive role will raise questions, but
Team: Arkansas
Height: 6’8
Weight: 220
Wingspan: 7’0
Age: 21.1 (May 8, 2004)
Adou Thiero — Forward, Arkansas (21.1 years old)
NBA Comparison: Peyton Watson, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
Thiero resembles other hyper athletic, offensively-limited wings that we’ve seen have mixed NBA results. Watson and Kidd-Gilchrist have both thrived on defense at the NBA level but faced obstacles to consistent rotation minutes on great teams because of their shooting. Thiero’s offensive potential might eclipse Watson’s but he’ll have to overcome similar obstacles and rely on similar strengths.
Strengths
Absurdly powerful, explosive athlete with an elite first step and speed to power translation
Dominant slasher at the college level, efficient finisher who constantly draws fouls on drives, explosive vertical athlete
Improved as a mid-range shotmaker at Arkansas, nice touch on short floaters and pull-ups
Motor never stops running, always crashing the glass and hustling in transition
Excellent off-ball defender, constantly disrupting passing lanes, rotating to contest shots at the rim
Strength and lateral burst make him a challenging player to drive through
Weaknesses
Weak floor spacer, teams regularly packed the paint and dared him to shoot
Can drive recklessly into traffic, often doesn’t look to pass out of his drives
Inconsistent ball control limits his ability to score on drives
Reactive on-ball defender who misplaces his steps and loses to sharp changes of direction
Lack of core strength can let bigger players bump him off of his spot
Offensive role: Slasher/Energy Wing
Defensive role: Off-Ball Disruptor/Versatile On-Ball Defender
2025 NBA Draft Projection: Round 1, Pick 25-30
Teams who are confident in their ability to develop 3-point shooting will be all over Thiero in the draft. He has plenty of room to grow on the offensive end, even beyond his shooting, but Thiero’s elite athletic tools and defensive upside make him a possible first-round pick. There are high-end traits in Thiero’s profile from which a creative, patient team can extract value.
