Late-season injuries have been a recurring issue for the Kentucky Wildcats, and last year was no exception. Multiple guards suffered injuries that affected their play late in the regular season and throughout postseason play. Unfortunately, the Wildcats lacked depth in their backcourt to overcome those injuries.
This season, however, Kentucky has been able to overcome similar hurdles, thanks in large part to freshman guard Adou Thiero. In Kentucky’s last three contests, Thiero has played an average of 13 minutes per game. Though he hasn’t scored many points or dished out many assists, Thiero plays at 110% every minute he’s on the court, making a difference for Kentucky.
One of the main reasons for Thiero’s increased minutes has been the injuries of both CJ Fredrick and Sahvir Wheeler. Fredrick, a junior guard who transferred from Iowa, has missed the last six games due to a lower leg injury. Before his injury, he averaged 11.3 points and 2.4 assists per game, shooting 47.8% from the field and 47.1% from beyond the arc.
Wheeler, a junior point guard who transferred from Georgia, has missed the last two games due to an undisclosed illness. He leads the team in assists with 6.3 per game, and is also averaging 9.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.
Even when Fredrick and Wheeler return to the rotation, there’s a strong chance Thiero will continue to log significant minutes. Calipari loves players who play hard at both ends of the court, and Thiero fits that mold perfectly.
If Thiero can keep up his impressive play, he could very well be an x-factor once the postseason arrives for the Wildcats. Could he be a potential SEC Freshman of the Week down the road?
The Kentucky Wildcats Men’s Basketball Team returns to action tomorrow night when they visit the Florida Gators.
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