Kentucky Basketball Roster Tracker: Adou Thiero commits

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The deadlines to enter the NBA Draft and the transfer portal have come and gone, giving us more clarity on Kentucky’s 2022-23 roster. Yesterday, three-star guard Adou Thiero committed to Kentucky, bringing the number of scholarship players on next year’s roster to 10. He joins Antonio Reeves, Cason Wallace, and Chris Livingston as newcomers to the squad.

Since our last roster tracker update on April 27, Keion Brooks entered the transfer portal, ending his three-year career in Lexington. In the 2022 class, Adrame Diongue committed to Washington State, and Leonard Miller was ruled eligible for the 2022 NBA Draft, furthering speculation he will forgo college for the pros. Speaking of the draft, the wait for Shaedon Sharpe‘s final decision continues. He has until June 1 to decide whether he’s going pro or returning to Kentucky.

All of the players Kentucky reached out to in the transfer portal are headed elsewhere. South Dakota State star Baylor Scheierman committed to Creighton and Texas Tech wing Terrence Shannon Jr. committed to Illinois. LSU guard Adam Miller narrowed his list to two, TCU and a return to Baton Rouge. Players can still enter the portal with a waiver and John Calipari and staff can add another piece to the roster whenever they please; however, for now, the landscape seems quiet.

Here is where we stand with Kentucky’s 2022-23 roster as of May 9, and the latest that Jack Pilgrim is hearing behind the scenes. New updates are marked in red.

Important Dates/Deadlines

May 16-22: NBA Draft Combine
May 17: NBA Draft Lottery
June 1: NCAA “Stay or Go” Deadline
June 23: 2022 NBA Draft

Staying

Oscar Tshiebwe (C, Jr.) – Oscar won all six National Player of the Year awards, making him the first unanimous POY in Kentucky Basketball history. He led Kentucky in scoring (17.4), rebounding (15.1), steals (1.8), and blocks (1.6). On April 20, Oscar announced he is returning to Kentucky for his senior season.

Oscar’s return is the best thing that could happen to Kentucky’s 2022-23 roster. He was responsible for 37.8% of Kentucky’s rebounds last year, 41.2% if you take away team rebounds. He also accounted for 21.8% of the team’s scoring. John Calipari has a machine in the middle to build around, fans have a beloved player to cheer for, and the path is clearing for Oscar to make boatloads of NIL money. Win-win-win.

2021-22 season: 17.4 PPG, 15.1 RPG, 1.8 SPG, 1.6 BPG, 31.9 MPG

Sahvir Wheeler (PG, Jr.) – After transferring in from Georgia, Wheeler became Kentucky’s primary point guard, ranking third in the country in assists (6.9). Like Washington, he missed time due to injuries, initially to his neck vs. LSU and later his wrist at Tennessee. On April 24, he made it official that he’s returning for a senior season. Calipari spoke at length about Wheeler on April 22, noting that he wasn’t the same after his neck injury but once healthy, will be a key piece of the 2022-23 puzzle.

2021-22 season: 10.1 PPG, 6.9 APG, 2.6 RPG, 31.2 MPG

Daimion Collins (F, Fr.) – Following initial reports after the season indicating Daimion Collins would return to Kentucky for a sophomore season, the 6-foot-9 forward announced his return to Lexington on April 23. On his final radio show of the season, John Calipari said he believes Collins can be “one of the best players in the country” next year because “the things he does, normal players can’t do.”

2021-22 season: 2.9 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 0.7 BPG, 7.5 MPG

CJ Fredrick (SG, R. Jr.) – Fredrick underwent surgery to repair a left hamstring injury in November and spent the 2021-22 season rehabbing. By the end of the season, he was occasionally seen shooting threes during Kentucky’s warm-ups. On April 16, Fredrick announced he will return to Kentucky for the 2022-23 season and could be in Lexington for three more seasons if the NCAA grants him a medical waiver.

Leaving

TyTy Washington (G, Fr.) – TyTy Washington shined in his freshman season in Lexington, even breaking John Wall’s single-game record with 17 assists, but was hampered by a leg injury throughout the second half of the year. On April 6, TyTy announced he is declaring for the NBA Draft and signing with an agent, ending his time as a Kentucky Wildcat. He is currently projected to go No. 17 in ESPN’s latest NBA Mock Draft.

2021-22 season: 12.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 3.9 APG, 29.2 MPG

Dontaie Allen (G, R So.) – Allen announced he was entering the transfer portal on March 24, ending his career at Kentucky. He committed to Western Kentucky on April 13. In two seasons, he averaged 3.9 points off 35.8% shooting and 1.4 rebounds in 10.5 minutes per game.

2021-22 season: 2.2 PPG, 1.2 RPG, 6.4 MPG
2020-21 season: 5.4 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 14.0 MPG

Bryce Hopkins (F, Fr.) – Hopkins played in 28 of Kentucky’s 34 games this season. His best performance came against LSU when he scored 13 points and pulled down 4 rebounds in 16 minutes to help the Cats beat the Tigers without TyTy Washington or Sahvir Wheeler. On April 7, Hopkins announced he is entering the transfer portal. On April 25, he committed to Providence.

2021-22 season: 2.1 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 6.4 MPG

Davion Mintz (G, Gr.) – Mintz used his sixth year of eligibility to return to Kentucky for the 2021-22 season. From here, he will explore professional options.

2021-22 season: 8.5 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 1.8 APG, 24.7 MPG
2020-21 season: 11.5 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 3.1 APG, 30.7 MPG

Kellan Grady (G, Gr.) – Grady was a grad transfer this season and has no eligibility remaining. Kentucky’s third-leading scorer will now pursue his professional options.

2021-22 season: 11.4 PPG (44.6% FG, 41.7% 3PT FG) , 2.1 RPG, 1.3 APG, 32.9 MPG

UPDATE 5/9: Grady received an invite to the NBA G-League Elite Camp May 16-17 in Chicago. The top performers will be invited to the NBA Draft Combine May 18-22.

Keion Brooks (F, Jr.) – On April 29, Keion Brooks entered the transfer portal, signaling the end of his career at Kentucky. He is also testing the NBA Draft waters. He has until June 1 to withdraw his name and return to college. Over three seasons as a Wildcat, Brooks averaged 8.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. In his junior season, Brooks was Kentucky’s fourth-leading scorer and started 33 games.

2021-22 season: 10.8 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 24.5 MPG
2020-21 season: 10.3 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 23.6 MPG
2019-20 season: 4.5 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 15.1 MPG

UPDATE 5/9: Brooks received an invite to the NBA G-League Elite Camp May 16-17 in Chicago. The top performers will be invited to the NBA Draft Combine May 18-22.

Testing The Waters

Jacob Toppin (F, Jr.) – Toppin was Kentucky’s seventh man this season, appearing in all but five games. He transferred to Kentucky from Rhode Island in 2020 and received a waiver to play immediately. On April 12, Toppin announced he will enter the 2022 NBA Draft but left the option to return to school open. At under 20 minutes a game in his second season as a Wildcat, Toppin stands to see an increased role next year once he receives NBA feedback from the draft process. He is not considered a legitimate NBA Draft prospect for this upcoming draft.

During his radio appearance on April 22, John Calipari mentioned Toppin today discussing next season’s roster, furthering the buzz he is testing the waters simply to receive feedback on what to work on for next year.

2021-22 season: 6.2 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 17.7 MPG
2020-21 season: 5.2 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 17.1 MPG

Pilgrim’s Insider Notes: An intriguing prospect with phenomenal upside, the school expects Toppin to return in 2022-23, building on a solid junior season in Lexington.

Shaedon Sharpe (SG, Fr.) – Sharpe enrolled at Kentucky in January. Prior to reclassifying, he was the No. 1 recruit in the 2022 class. When he arrived in Lexington, Sharpe said his plan was to practice with the team this season and play next season. In February, John Calipari ended speculation that Sharpe would play in 2021-22 but doubled down on him being on next year’s squad.

On his final radio show of the season, Calipari said he sat down with Sharpe and his family and they decided it would be in his best interest to test the NBA Draft waters to receive feedback. On April 21, Sharpe did just that, although there were reports earlier in the day that he would stay in the draft. He is currently No. 6 in ESPN’s latest NBA Mock Draft. He has until June 1 to remove his name from the draft if he wants to return to school.

Pilgrim’s Insider Notes: John Calipari is maintaining an open line of communication with the five-star freshman and his parents, with a potential return to Lexington still being discussed. Draft grade remains the prime focus, ranging anywhere from No. 5 to No. 14 at this point in time, a key part of the intrigue. Should a team guarantee a top-eight-ish pick, it’d be a rather cut-and-dry decision. No such promise has been made.

Sharpie’s advisor continues to push for the draft behind the scenes, as has been the case for months. The lack of clarity and non-stop inconsistencies continue to create tension with the involved parties, including at the NBA level, specifically regarding the information made available and the way it’s been presented throughout the process.

Should he be declared eligible after a final review — which is still to come — and a top guarantee is made, the expectation is that he ultimately goes. It’s a messy process, though, with countless hurdles to clear before the chaos comes to a close.

Expected to Return

Lance Ware (F, So.) – In his second season at Kentucky, Ware took a backseat to Oscar Tshiebwe in the frontcourt but flourished as the Cats’ enforcer. He has yet to announce any plans regarding his future but was among the players Calipari mentioned while discussing next year’s roster.

2021-22 season: 1.5 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 6.3 MPG
2020-21 season: 2.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 12.1 MPG

Pilgrim’s Insider Notes: Barring an influx of frontcourt talent via the transfer portal, Ware is expected to return to Kentucky for the 2022-23 season.

Coming In

Antonio Reeves, Illinois State (SG/SF, Jr.) – Reeves entered the transfer portal on March 21 after a stellar junior season with the Redbirds. He committed to Kentucky on April 27. Reeves led Illinois State in scoring at 20.1 points per game, the most in the Missouri Valley Conference and top 20 in all of Division I. Standing 6-6 and knocking down 39% of his 3-point attempts, Reeves scored in double figures in 31 of 33 games this season, including 18 20-point performances. He will have two years of eligibility remaining.

2021-22 Season: 20.1 PPG (46.9% FG, 39.0% 3PT FG), 3.5 RPG, 1.1 SPG
Highlights

Chris Livingston (SF, Oak Hill Academy) – The five-star small forward committed to Kentucky on Sept. 15, 2021, and signed on Nov. 11. At the McDonald’s All-American Game, Livingston scored 13 points on 5-9 shooting and 2-4 from three to go with six rebounds, five assists, and one block (you can read our scouting report here). At the Jordan Brand Classic, Livingston was one of the top performers, finishing with 21 points (8-16 FG, 2-5 3PT, 3-7 FT), eight rebounds, three steals, and five turnovers.

2021-22 season (high school): 18.2 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 3.9 APG, 1.9 SPG
KSR Film Breakdown

Cason Wallace (CG, Richardson HS) – The five-star combo guard from Dallas, TX committed to Kentucky on Nov. 10, 2021, and signed on Nov. 11. In the McDonald’s All-American Game, he scored seven points on 3-10 shooting and 1-2 from three to go with six assists, five rebounds, and one steal (you can read our scouting report here). He shined at the Jordan Brand Classic, putting up 15 points (6-11 FG, 3-3 FT), four rebounds, two assists, and two blocks. Wallace’s most impressive showing of the all-star circuit came at the Iverson Classic, where he was named National High School Player of the Year.

2021-22 season (high school): 19.9 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 6.1 APG
KSR Film Breakdown

Photo: @Adou_Thiero

Adou Thiero (G) – On May 8, 6’5″ three-star guard Adou Thiero announced his commitment to Kentucky. On March 26, Calipari offered Thiero, whose father, Almamy, played for Calipari at Memphis. He also held offers from Cincinnati, Maryland, Pitt, Duquesne, and UC Santa Barbara and visited Pittsburgh, Maryland, and Xavier. Thiero was named the 2022 TribLive HSSN Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

2021-22 Season: 23.3 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 5.9 APG, 3.9 SPG, 2.3 BPG

UPDATE 5/9: UK announced Thiero’s signing Sunday evening in a press release featuring quotes from John Calipari and the future Wildcat.

“I am excited to have Adou join our program. He is a great kid who comes from a terrific family,” John Calipari said. “Adou is a winner who fought through some adversity last summer and then led his team to the state championship game. Much like Dom (Hawkins) and Derek (Willis), Adou understands the grind and process of development here. He knows nothing will be easy, but he has great size and has the makeup of the kind of guard who excels here, someone who can play on the ball or off and can finish at the rim in a variety of ways. I can’t wait to coach him and help him reach his goals.”

“Ever since I went to my first Kentucky men’s basketball camp I’ve wanted to go to Kentucky,” Thiero said. “My whole life I’ve been working to get here and when I got this opportunity, I knew I was going to take it because I just liked how Coach Cal is able to develop guys into pro players. He has always been great to his players and my dad played for him, so he had great things to say about him. I know Coach Cal and the staff will be able to help me get to where I want to be. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I can’t wait to get on campus and work to improve my game and help make this team better.”

Pilgrim’s Insider Notes: Once thought as a favor to the Thiero family — those in the area were skeptical of genuine interest on Kentucky’s end — an official visit to Lexington changed everything for the parties involved. A late bloomer, Thiero was looking for a school to help him develop over time, and John Calipari was intrigued with the opportunity. Both sides saw a fit and wanted to make it happen, especially with scholarships available.

A long-term project piece, immediate expectations should be tempered, but the physical tools are there.

Leonard Miller (F) – On March 25, members of Kentucky’s staff visited Miller, a 6’10” power forward from Ontario, Canada, who plays for Fort Erie International Academy. Miller is considered a five-star recruit and the No. 11 overall prospect in the 2022 class by On3 and his stock is on the rise following a six-inch growth spurt. He is down to Kentucky, Arizona, and the NBA’s G League Ignite, and has visited all three, stopping in Lexington April 15-17. Miller is also testing the draft waters while maintaining his college eligibility, entering on April 23.

UPDATE 5/9: On May 4, Miller was ruled eligible for the 2022 NBA Draft.

Pilgrim’s Insider Notes: Miller is technically down to the G League, Kentucky and Arizona, but was recently declared eligible for the 2022 NBA Draft. The initial expectation was that he’d sign with the G League, but now, a first-round guarantee would almost certainly send him to the draft. His eligibility has delayed a final decision, likely extending close to the withdrawal deadline of June 1.

Kentucky is keeping the door open, but the pro route continues to be likely, with college seen as a secondary option. Miller hopes to avoid school if a better avenue presents itself among pro options. John Calipari and Chin Coleman took a trip to Fort Erie on March 25 to see the five-star prospect in person.