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Two months ago, John Calipari’s much-anticipated first season with Arkansas men’s basketball appeared to be on the verge of disaster, with a 12-8 record that included a 1-6 start in SEC play.
Beginning with a victory at Kentucky in Calipari’s Rupp Arena homecoming, the Razorbacks have rallied, going 8-5 since the start of February to get into the NCAA Tournament field relatively comfortably.
Their March Madness journey, however, may have to start without arguably their best player.
REQUIRED READING: March Madness Cinderella candidates: 7 men's teams that could shatter brackets
Forward Adou Thiero, the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, hasn’t played since a Feb. 22 win against Missouri, missing Arkansas’ past six games while nursing a hyperextended knee.
With a first-round matchup against No. 7 seed Kansas looming on Thursday in Providence, Rhode Island, here’s the latest update on Thiero’s injury and his playing status for the No. 10 seed Razorbacks:
If Arkansas is going to beat Kansas and advance to a potential second-round meeting with Calipari’s old friend Rick Pitino and No. 2 seed St. John’s, it will have to do so without arguably its best player.
Thiero will miss the Razorbacks’ game against the Jayhawks, Calipari said to reporters Wednesday in Providence.
Even on a team teeming with former five-star recruits, Thiero’s absence will hurt.
The 6-foot-8 forward, who played his first two seasons under Calipari at Kentucky before transferring with him to Arkansas, has been a revelation for the Razorbacks this season. The Pittsburgh native is averaging 15.6 points per game, more than double his average from the previous season, and six rebounds per game. He’s been efficient offensively, shooting 54.8% overall and 60.5% from inside the 3-point arc.
An athletic and versatile wing, Thiero has been a helpful piece defensively, too, averaging 1.7 steals per game.
If there’s a silver lining for Arkansas, it’s that it has fared well enough this season without Thiero, going 5-2 in games the junior has missed this season. That includes a 4-2 mark in SEC games, highlighted by wins against NCAA Tournament teams Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and Texas late in the season.
Without Thiero, the Razorbacks will aim to hand Kansas its first loss in a first-round NCAA Tournament game since 2006.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Adou Thiero injury update: Arkansas star to miss game vs Kansas
Continue reading...
Beginning with a victory at Kentucky in Calipari’s Rupp Arena homecoming, the Razorbacks have rallied, going 8-5 since the start of February to get into the NCAA Tournament field relatively comfortably.
Their March Madness journey, however, may have to start without arguably their best player.
REQUIRED READING: March Madness Cinderella candidates: 7 men's teams that could shatter brackets
Forward Adou Thiero, the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, hasn’t played since a Feb. 22 win against Missouri, missing Arkansas’ past six games while nursing a hyperextended knee.
With a first-round matchup against No. 7 seed Kansas looming on Thursday in Providence, Rhode Island, here’s the latest update on Thiero’s injury and his playing status for the No. 10 seed Razorbacks:
Adou Thiero injury update
If Arkansas is going to beat Kansas and advance to a potential second-round meeting with Calipari’s old friend Rick Pitino and No. 2 seed St. John’s, it will have to do so without arguably its best player.
Thiero will miss the Razorbacks’ game against the Jayhawks, Calipari said to reporters Wednesday in Providence.
Even on a team teeming with former five-star recruits, Thiero’s absence will hurt.
The 6-foot-8 forward, who played his first two seasons under Calipari at Kentucky before transferring with him to Arkansas, has been a revelation for the Razorbacks this season. The Pittsburgh native is averaging 15.6 points per game, more than double his average from the previous season, and six rebounds per game. He’s been efficient offensively, shooting 54.8% overall and 60.5% from inside the 3-point arc.
An athletic and versatile wing, Thiero has been a helpful piece defensively, too, averaging 1.7 steals per game.
If there’s a silver lining for Arkansas, it’s that it has fared well enough this season without Thiero, going 5-2 in games the junior has missed this season. That includes a 4-2 mark in SEC games, highlighted by wins against NCAA Tournament teams Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and Texas late in the season.
Without Thiero, the Razorbacks will aim to hand Kansas its first loss in a first-round NCAA Tournament game since 2006.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Adou Thiero injury update: Arkansas star to miss game vs Kansas
Continue reading...
