Days ahead of NBA draft, Arkansas HC John Calipari gives his verdict on one athlete teams shouldn't pass on

Arkansas coach John Calipari is actively promoting Adou Thiero ahead of the 2025 NBA draft, which will be held on Wednesday and Thursday. Thiero, who played under Calipari at Kentucky before following him to Fayetteville, has the full support of his coach.

The junior forward played one season with the Razorbacks after transferring from Kentucky last year. Thiero significantly improved his game by boosting his scoring average from 7.2 points per game at Kentucky to 15.1 ppg at Arkansas.

On Thursday, Calipari joined "The Pat McAfee Show," where he made a strong case for his player.

"Adou Thiero, if anybody misses that, it’s going to be like they missed on — you ready — Immanuel Quickley," Calipari said. "Thiero is a first-round draft pick, and I’m going to tell you why. I love the physicalness of the league right now. I love it because you have to work to get a basket. It ain't 'horse' anymore. "Adou can play in a physical game and, athletically, be in the top 1%. He’s somebody if you pass on, they’ll look back and say, 'How many people passed on him?'"

According to ESPN's latest mock draft, Thiero is projected to be picked in the early second round at No. 33 by the Charlotte Hornets.

John Calipari bought Malique Ewin from Florida State to replace Adou Thiero

As Adou Thiero prepares for the NBA draft and will most likely be leaving the Razorbacks, John Calipari has to find a replacement for him. And, he may have found a good one in Malique Ewin, a junior transfer from Florida State.

Ewin was the second leading scorer for the Seminoles last season, averaging 14.2 ppg and 7.6 rebounds per game while shooting 59.6%.

Both players are athletic forwards with strong physical presence, but while Thiero shot 25.6% from deep, Ewin did not attempt a single 3-pointer last season.

Besides Thiero, several other players from last season's squad departed during this offseason. To rebuild the roster, Calipari added two transfers and four freshmen, including two ESPN top-10 recruits: Darius Acuff and Meleek Thomas.

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Edited by Ribin Peter