The Pitt Panthers were unsuccessful in their pursuit of Kentucky forward Adou Thiero, a high-profile transfer target they had been actively pursuing throughout the offseason. Instead of choosing Pitt, Thiero opted to join Arkansas.
Thiero entered the transfer portal after Kentucky’s season ended, prompting Pitt to work diligently to secure his commitment. Pitt and North Carolina were among the first teams to express interest in Thiero, with Pitt even hosting him for a visit at the end of April, making them the front-runners at the time. Indiana and Kentucky were also in Thiero’s top five schools.
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However, the situation changed dramatically when John Calipari, who recently moved from Kentucky to Arkansas, hosted Thiero for a visit last week. Thiero’s father, Almany Thiero, has a history with Calipari from his time at Memphis, which likely influenced the decision.
Thiero, who attended high school at Quaker Valley in Leetsdale, PA, just 18 miles from Pitt’s campus, had an impressive high school career. In his senior year in 2022, he averaged 23.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 3.9 steals, and 2.3 blocks per game, leading his team to a WPIAL Class 4A Championship.
Ranked as a four-star recruit in the Class of 2022, Thiero initially committed to Kentucky under Calipari, who hails from western Pennsylvania.
During his freshman year at Kentucky, Thiero played in 20 games, averaging 9.5 minutes, 2.3 points, and 1.9 rebounds per game. He showed improvement in his sophomore season, appearing in 25 games, starting 19, and averaging 7.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game. He shot 49.2% from the field and 80.0% from the free-throw line.
Pitt lost several forwards from their previous season, including First Team All-ACC star Blake Hinson, who graduated, and Federiko Federiko and Will Jeffress, who entered the transfer portal. However, they did acquire Florida State transfer Cameron Corhen and are bringing in freshman Amdy Ndiaye. Additionally, Papa Amadou Kante, who suffered a season-ending injury last season, is set to return.
In addition to Corhen, Pitt secured Houston guard Damian Dunn as a transfer earlier in April. Despite missing out on Thiero, Pitt is expected to continue actively seeking talent through the transfer portal this offseason.
