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BB Recruiting

2022 PG, Adou Thiero, Picks up Offer From Kentucky as Stock Quickly Rises

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Photo by George Michalowski

Adou Thiero, a 6’5 combo guard from Pennsylvania in the class of 2022, has seemingly come out of nowhere. Literally, if you click this link to his 24/7 Sports recruiting profile, there is little to nothing there about him.

However, in the past few months, Thiero has grown (literally) and played his way into interest from Pitt, Indiana, Marquette, Ohio State, and now the Kentucky Wildcats in just the last few months.

Back to the growing part, Thiero has grown 6 inches to 6’5 (6’6 depending on who you ask) in just the past year and is still growing. Combine that with athleticism, and that is a combo that John Calipari seems to like.

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On Thursday, Calipari, Orlando Antigua, and Chin Coleman took a visit to Pennsylvania and watched Thiero as he recorded 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 blocks in the Pennsylvania 4A state title game.

Cal followed up with an in-home visit today, where he offered Thiero a scholarship. Thiero’s other offers as of today, include only Indiana, UC Santa Barbara, and Duquesne.

As mentioned before, there is not much that you can find on the kid with a google search. However, George Michalowski of Pittsburgh Sports Now, has had the privilege to watch Adou in action, and here is what he had to say.

I have watched Adou three times over the past few weeks. He is 6’5, maybe 6’6. Very strong lower half and getting stronger up top. He has grown 6+ inches in the past year or two and has filled out very well.

He plays a very downhill game. Likes to drive and be as physical as possible. Plays slow and is very smart in the halfcourt, but when he gets out in transition he is not slowing down (sometimes a bit out of control, but rarely). Plays point guard for his HS team. Super acrobatic with his finishes, and gets to the free throw line whenever he wants. He’s got a pretty good jumper, and it’s gotten better each time I have seen him play. He has been playing through a broken growth plate in his hand for the past few weeks so it’s been hard for me to judge. He has plus vision. I’d say the only times that I’ve seen him out of control have been in transition. But he is far and away the best player on his team and has had to carry them at times, so every time he attacks like that, it’s been necessary.

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Defensively he is the best shot blocking guard I have seen in quite some time. He is very long and has a knack for the ball. Rebounds at a high rate as well.

Off the court, he’s a super humble, lively guy. He is a kid. He is loving all of this process and is a great leader on the court. He plays alongside an undersized forward Markus Frank who is an excellent scorer, and Adou knows when to give Frank the ball/isn’t afraid to give it up at all. He is an unselfish player but knows when and when not to take over.

He is a super super tough competitor and loves the game.

In addition to his basketball ability, Adou has great genes. His father, Almamy Thiero, played for Calipari in his early days at Memphis and his mother is 6-3 and is a former WNBA draft pick.

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With the connection to his father and UK being the best program to offer, you would have to think Kentucky is the leader.

Don’t expect a one-and-done type player, but Calipari seems to be sold on his potential. Maybe Coach Cal has found a diamond in the rough.

Here are some highlights of Adou Thiero.

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BB Recruiting

Kentucky Has Contacted Nation’s Leading Scorer, Four-Star Transfer Jaron Pierre Who Is “Definitely” Interested in the Cats

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Jacksonville State transfer Jaron Pierre has been contacted by Kentucky.
Jacksonville State Athletics

There are more than a thousand players in the transfer portal, meaning names are flying left and right. As of April 1st, Kentucky has one commitment in Kam Williams (Tulane), and is projected to land top 25 transfer Magoon Gwath (San Diego State).

That said, the Kentucky staff has been in contact with more than a dozen players, and there is another notable player to add to that list.

KY Insider can report that Kentucky has contacted Jaron Pierre from Jacksonville State. Pierre is currently a four-star transfer prospect and ranked as the 34th ranked prospect in 247Sports‘ transfer portal rankings.

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At Jacksonville State last season, Pierre scored more points than anyone else in college basketball (777 points), averaging 21.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists while shooting 38.2% from 3-point range (9.0 attempts per game). He scored 30 points or more in six games, and only had one game where he did not score in double digits. His impressive play earned him Conference USA Player of the Year honors.

Pierre also had prior stops at Southern Miss and Wichita State, where he spent two years at each school, and will be going into his sixth season of college basketball. Pierre has also declared for the NBA Draft, but is not currently projected on any mock drafts.

While still early in his recruitment, Pierre tells KY Insider that he is “definitely” interested in Kentucky, but no Zoom meeting or visit has been scheduled.

“I love it Big Blue Nation,” Pierre said of the Kentucky program. He also really liked what Mark Pope was able to do in his first season in Lexington. “He was able to pick up right where it left off.”

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The level of competition is always a question when evaluating a mid-major talent, but Pierre’s athleticism jumps off the page and a 38.2% clip from three on nine attempts per game is nothing to slight at.

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BB Recruiting

Kentucky Receives First Transfer Commitment From Top 25 Prospect, “Not Many People Get Opportunities Like This”

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Kentucky transfer Kam Williams prepares to shoot.

While all the attention is on Kentucky’s matchup with Tennessee in the Sweet Sixteen, the transfer portal officially opened on Monday and the staff has been hard at work.

Already tossing a wide net, reaching out to nearly a dozen guys in the past few days, the Cats have reeled in their first commitment from Top 25 ranked (247Sports), four-star transfer Kam Williams from Tulane.

With a 6-8, 190-pound frame, Williams has good size. What caught the staff’s eye is his ELITE shooting ability, shooting better than 41 percent this past season and that includes 17 threes made beyond 25 feet. He excels best in catch-and-shoot situations, where he ranks in the 94th percentile.

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Williams received interest from many schools in addition to Kentucky, such as Florida, Louisville, and St. John’s among others. Why did Williams commit to Kentucky so quickly?

“Not many people get opportunities like this, so I wanted to pull the trigger fast,” Williams told ESPN. “More people are waiting to fill that spot, so I had to take advantage.”

“My dream is to play in the NBA. Kentucky’s culture and background shows that they care about their players, especially developing them into the best players they can be.”

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Kentucky Named a Finalist for Five Star, Top 5 NBA Prospect Nate Ament

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2025 top five prospect Nate Ament on his visit to Kentucky.
UK Athletics

Mark Pope has received three top-35 commitments in his first high school recruiting class, including two high 4-star commits in Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno.

However, his first top-10 prospect still eludes him after missing out on Caleb Wilson last month… at least for now.

Over the last few weeks, Pope and his staff have focused heavily on top-five prospect Nate Ament.

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Ament, the second-ranked power forward in the 2025 class, cut his list down to five schools earlier this week: Duke, Louisville, Tennessee, Arkansas, and the Kentucky Wildcats.

The 6-foot-9 prospect has visited each of them except Arkansas over the last five months, with a decision expected in the next month or so. Where does each program stand?

According to Joe Tipton of On3, Louisville and Duke have “positioned themselves” the best in this recruitment, giving Pat Kesley and the Cardinals a slight lead. However, there is still time, and one thing that could shake things up the most is NIL, reported to be one of Ament’s biggest priorities.

Elsewhere at On3, Jamie Shaw did his own update, where he said this could be down to a Kentucky vs. Louisville battle.

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“Speaking with sources at this point in time it does sound like there is a split room around Nate Ament with Duke, Louisville, and Kentucky. With the intel I am currently getting, I would not be surprised to see this ultimately come down to a Kentucky and Louisville battle,” Shaw wrote, later adding that a decision could come in the next few weeks.

Ament is fresh off a visit to Kentucky, where he saw Rupp Arena at its best as the Wildcats completed the season sweep of Tennessee. That being his most recent visit, along with Pope visiting for Ament’s Senior night, the hope is it made a lasting impact, but will it be enough?

Time will tell, but the Cats are a legitimate contender to land Ament.

Be sure to read Shaw’s update here.

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Also posted on A Sea of Blue.

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