Kentucky sophomore Adou Thiero talks to a teammate before a game – Dr. Michael Huang, Kentucky Sports Radio

Kentucky sophomore Adou Thiero talks to a teammate before a game – Dr. Michael Huang, Kentucky Sports Radio

Once a three-star high school recruit, Adou Thiero is officially on his way to the NBA.

 

Thiero, who played two seasons at Kentucky (2022-24) before following John Calipari to Arkansas for the 2024-25 season, was selected with the 36th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft on Thursday night. The pick was made by the Minnesota Timberwolves, but reports indicate the Los Angeles Lakers have acquired it via trade, meaning Thiero will team up with LeBron James and Luka Doncic as a rookie in 2025-26.

 

“I’m so proud of how far Adou has come from a 5’11 9th grader to becoming an NBA player,” Calipari wrote on social media. “Incredible journey. Forget what round he is drafted in he is a player they will look at and go ‘how did he get drafted there that was a steal’ We have had guys go in the second round or even undrafted that go on to have a great NBA career! He has what it takes mentally and physically to succeed in the NBA. Go do it Adou!”

 

During his junior campaign with the Razorbacks, the 6-foot-8 Thiero had his best season yet, averaging 15.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per outing while shooting 54.5 percent from the field. According to BigBlueHistory, Thiero is the 16th Kentucky player who transferred to another school and was later drafted.

 

Thiero was mostly unknown as a high school prospect at Quaker Valley (PA) before signing late with Kentucky in 2022. His father, Almamy, played at Memphis under Calipari for three seasons (2002-05). That connection was enough for Calipari to take a chance on a still-growing Thiero, which ended up paying off.

 

 

 

Mo Dioubate Kentucky

 

Alabama transfer Mo Dioubate is proud of his roots as a New Yorker, growing up in Queens and staying in the Northeast at Putnam Science Academy before taking his talents to Tuscaloosa.

 

He remembers playing pick-up in NYC, whatever game setup he could come up with at any given moment — five-on-five, three-on-three, one-on-one, anything. It’s where he learned his toughness and physicality, usually because he had to play with his big brother against older kids in the area, so he had no choice but to toughen up.

 

“Playing outside every day,” he said. “… You don’t want to be that guy to get exposed every time, so I was playing with older guys since I was younger and they were all really physically. They were all bigger than me, so it just made me want to play harder. … That was just my environment.”

 

Don’t even think to call fouls, either.

 

“They know it’s gonna turn into a whole fight and a whole argument for 5-10 minutes. … If you call foul, they’re gonna call you soft and tell you to get off the court. So a lot of guys just don’t call fouls.”

 

His reputation as a tough, hard-nosed defender came from those courts. Now, he gets to return to that area for the very first time as a Wildcat this season, Kentucky traveling to New York City to take on Michigan State in the Champions Classic in November.

 

That one is scheduled for Nov. 18, and it’s the one game he has on his calendar. Well, two, including Louisville — everyone has that one circled, every year.

 

“We play at Madison Square Garden, and that’s my hometown — so, obviously, that’s going to be my ‘welcome home’ moment,” Dioubate said. “I haven’t played in New York since I’ve been in college, so that’s a game I can say I’m looking forward to a lot. Oh, and Louisville [smiles].”

 

It’s cool for the new Kentucky forward, suiting up in the most iconic venue in sports history in MSG. Across two seasons at Alabama, earning champion status in high school at PSA or any all-star events before college, he’s never played there.

 

Now, he gets his chance — and his friends and family are already begging for tickets, despite summer workouts just starting and that game still five months away.

 

The University of Kentucky men’s basketball team hosted a youth camp at North Laurel High School in London on Friday, June 20, 2025. UK head coach Mark Pope talked about how the event came together. By Cameron Drummond

Key Takeaways

Mark Pope played it positive in his first season as the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats.

 

The former UK basketball captain put together a roster on short notice last spring, and that group ended up going a long way in the NCAA Tournament, relative to the program’s recent past, at least.

 

But Pope, encouraging as he was during the 2024-25 season, knows that postseason trips that end in the Sweet 16 don’t meet the annual expectations of Kentucky fans. And, as last season progressed, he watched his team and saw areas that he’d like to shore up moving forward.

 

Rebounding was a common point of concern. So was team defense. And, especially once SEC play began, physicality, athleticism and plain, old grit were often traits Pope’s Cats lacked.

 

That shouldn’t be the case in year two.

 

A big reason why? Mouhamed Dioubate.

 

The mere mention of the name draws wide eyes, knowing smiles and shaking heads among UK’s returnees.

 

“I’m definitely glad he’s on our side now,” Trent Noah said. “I would not want to run into him, that’s for sure.”

 

Brandon Garrison, a 6-foot-10 post player, grinned as soon as the subject of Dioubate came up, later praising the 6-7 forward’s speed, mobility, physicality and defensive ability.

 

“I feel like me and him are going to connect really well,” Garrison said.

 

Otega Oweh, the Wildcats’ leading scorer last season, was full of praise for his new teammate.

 

“He’s a physical, physical big,” he said. “So I was excited when we got him. I thought that was a really good get. And I think he’s gonna help us a lot. What he brought to Alabama was that toughness and that grit. So I feel like that’s always good to have.”

 

Later, Oweh was asked what it would be like to play alongside Dioubate.

 

“Oh, it’s gonna be lovely,” he responded, a lilt in his voice that drew chuckles from those gathered around. “I know what he brings in. And I didn’t like playing against him, if I’m being honest. So I know he’s gonna have that same effect on other people and on other teams.”

 

Oweh, Garrison and Noah weren’t exactly known for backing down last season. These are three very different personalities with three very different skill sets, but no one in that trio could be accused of dialing back the physicality.

 

Oweh was never afraid to venture into contact. Garrison was seemingly always in the mix when things got overly physical on the court. And Noah wouldn’t think twice before bodying up with guys bigger, stronger and more athletic in the paint.

 

All three had a respect for Dioubate before he left Alabama for Kentucky this offseason, and all three are clearly ecstatic that he’s on their side now. So is their coach.

 

“His skill set fits us in a brilliant way,” Pope said. “I just can’t wait to see what he can do for us on the court. He’s coming from an incredible program, an incredible coaching staff — and we’re going to get to enjoy some of the fruit of all the labors that have come with him and by him before he got here. Really excited about him.”

 

Dioubate — everyone calls him “Mo” — wasn’t surprised to hear what his new teammates thought about him last season.

 

Alabama beat Kentucky three times during the 2024-25 campaign, becoming just the third team in history to win three games against the Wildcats in a single season. In those matchups — especially that 99-70 beatdown in the SEC Tournament — the Crimson Tide imposed their will on the Cats.

 

That UK team had an awful lot of offensive talent — and it was an entertaining group to watch — but physicality was not the Cats’ forte. They were missing a guy like Dioubate.

 

“Oh, yeah,” he said, when asked if that was apparent from the outside. “We have a scout for every team we play. Going into this game, I knew that was something that they lacked a little bit. So, once we saw that, we just applied the pressure to it every time we could. And I’m happy I’m able to play with Kentucky this year. And bring it to the team.”

 

A little later, Dioubate returned to the point.

 

“I sensed the dominance that we had in those games,” he said. “… When you smell blood in water, you attack it, right? That’s what a shark does. So, yeah, that was the motto last year. So that’s what it’s gonna be this year.”

 

Mouhamed Dioubate will play for Kentucky this season after transferring from Alabama, where he was a key reserve player the past two years.

Mouhamed Dioubate will play for Kentucky this season after transferring from Alabama, where he was a key reserve player the past two years. Tasha

What Dioubate brings to UK

Dioubate spoke frankly this week of UK’s shortcomings last season, and he knows he’s going to be tasked with turning that reputation around when this season begins.

 

Listed at 6-7 and 215 pounds, the Queens native plays much bigger than those measurements. He’s athletic and explosive. He’s incredibly physical, with a motor that seemingly never stops. He takes pride in his defense. He takes pride in his rebounding.

 

He and Pope should get along just fine.

 

Before summer practice even began, the Kentucky coach was raving about what a “special person” he’d found Dioubate to be during the transfer portal process and through their early conversations.

 

That praise will surely extend to the court for as long as Dioubate is a Wildcat.

 

Just a week into practice, the new UK forward noted that Pope had a major emphasis on “wedging” and talked with delight about the term.

 

“It’s just basically hitting a man and go get the rebound — boxing out and stuff,” he said. “That’s what wedging is. Don’t be late on the checkouts. Try to go get every rebound.”

 

Dioubate had just as much glee in his voice when discussing some of his new teammates — specifically super athletic center Jayden Quaintance, versatile guard Denzel Aberdeen and Oweh — and the defensive potential of this UK roster.

 

“I think it’s probably gonna be one of the best defensive teams Kentucky has seen in a while,” he predicted.

 

The Cats often boasted one of the country’s best defenses during John Calipari’s first decade as UK’s coach, but they failed to land in the top 30 nationally in any of his final five seasons in charge, finishing No. 109 overall in the KenPom ratings — the worst mark since that stat began in 1997 — in Calipari’s final season in Lexington.

 

Pope’s first UK team ranked No. 51 nationally in defensive efficiency, and those Cats were sitting outside the top 100 before a major turnaround at the end of the season.

 

Dioubate, who has two years of NCAA eligibility remaining, is ready and motivated to reverse that trend, but he didn’t make the jump from Bama to UK just to be an enforcer or the Wildcats’ glue guy.

 

There’s more to his game.

 

He grew up in the same part of New York as former UK guard Hamidou Diallo — both have family roots in West Africa — and talked about the ex-Cat as a big-brother-type figure. Dioubate also grew up a Kentucky fan, watching more NBA than college as a kid before quickly falling love with the Cats after seeing the 2016-17 team — led by De’Aaron Fox, Malik Monk and Bam Adebayo — do their thing on the court.

 

Dioubate shot 46.2% from 3-point range last season, his role and playing time — just 16.0 minutes per game — limiting him to only 26 long-range attempts. His former Alabama teammates have gushed about his overall skill, saying he rarely got to show that side of his game with the Tide and predicting bigger things for this season.

 

Pope is going to let Dioubate shoot. He’s going to let him dribble. He’s called him a “point forward” behind the scenes, and his playing time is almost sure to skyrocket this season.

 

“He knows what I’m able to do,” Dioubate said. “He has confidence in me.”

 

And that’s a mutual feeling going into their first season together.

 

For everything that Dioubate wants to show of his game starting in November, he knows what kind of mentality he needs to bring to the floor. The kid who grew up playing on courts in Queens where hardly anyone called fouls has found a kindred spirit at Kentucky.

 

“Coach Pope, he played for (Rick) Pitino, so he loved that hard stuff,” Dioubate said. “He loved that tough stuff, you know, of being a dog and doing all the intangibles and stuff. He’s very big on that. That’s the reason why he recruited me.”

 

Mark Pope told Big Blue Nation to pray for the Kentucky Wildcats as they prepared for their first-day conditioning test back on June 17 — and for good reason.

 

The second-year coach in Lexington told KSR there would be a “new focus” on conditioning and “that’s going to be a huge emphasis for us the way we want to play this year.” When you have one of the deepest teams in the country, you want to use that depth to your advantage by attacking opponents in waves until they roll over and die, quicker bursts at 110 percent effort across the board.

 

How did things go with the conditioning test? Well, it’s the hardest thing the players have done up to this point, if you want the truth.

 

“We’ve been working, getting prepared for the season,” Alabama transfer Mo Dioubate said Monday. “… Coach made us run 17s today in practice. Coming in, I didn’t think it was gonna be that hard, but it was really kind of challenging today. We got it done, but that was probably the hardest thing we’ve done in practice so far.”

 

For those curious, a 17 is when you run from sideline to sideline 17 times, timed. Pope gives the bigs 66 seconds to get it done and the guards 63 seconds. If you fail, you have to come back a week later and try it again.

 

No exceptions — as Dioubate learned the hard way.

 

“We did four of those today, and you get a one-minute break in between each 17,” Dioubate said. “… If you fail the first one, it doesn’t count and you have to come back next week and try to get it. … Last week, I was short by like four seconds, and I thought the coaches would have some mercy on me, saying, ‘Oh, you don’t have to do it again.’ But (Pope) said, ‘Nah, you got to do it until you make it.’ So that’s what I did today.

 

“I almost died, but it was fun just knowing that I completed it. It was hard, but we still got it done.”

 

Another reporter came up later in the conversation and asked a similar question about the conditioning test and how it went. Dioubate didn’t miss a beat, repeating the same line from before to really drive that point home: it nearly killed him.

 

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“I told you, I almost died,” he continued. “I was so fatigued, but I still managed to get through it. … I told myself, ‘I can’t keep doing this, I just got to get this out of the way.’ So me and Trent Noah passed it today.”

 

Hands on his knees, huffing and puffing in victory, he can now watch the rest of his teammates try to beat the clock as Coach Pope pushes toward having a group capable of running forever this season.

 

“I’m gonna cheer for the other guys like they cheered for me today — because I know how hard it is to pass that,” Dioubate joked.

 

It’s exactly what he signed up for, wanting to be pushed to the limit and developed as a national champion and future pro. He’s worked his entire life and a conditioning test wasn’t going to break him — no matter how hard Pope tried.

 

“It’s been good,” he said. “I didn’t expect anything easy, honestly. My whole life, I’ve worked hard for everything I’ve had. So coming in, I didn’t expect anything to be handed to me. I’ve always worked for everything I’ve wanted. It’s been good, I’ve been working.”

 

 

 

Kentucky guard Otega Oweh – Mont Dawson, Kentucky Sports Radio

Of all the great news Kentucky fans have been blessed to see this offseason, Otega Oweh‘s return takes the cake. Today, Otega Oweh will be enjoying some cake to celebrate his 22nd birthday.

 

No. 00 actually gave back before receiving a gift for his big day. He brought a giant check to a satellite camp at North Laurel High School, worth $40,000 to tornado relief efforts. On Saturday morning, he joined the Wildcats for another camp in Russell County.

 

Otega Oweh was outstanding during his first season at Kentucky. He scored in double figures in the first 26 games of the season. He led the team in scoring with 16.2 points per game. Josh Hubbard is the only player returning to the SEC with more points per game on his resume.

 

Oweh scored 20 points or more in 13 games. His most impressive performance was against his old team. In the middle of a dogfight in Norman, he put the team on his back and scored the final 18 points of the game, culminating with the go-ahead bucket in the final seconds. On the other end of the floor, he blocked a shot to secure the victory.

 

 

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It wasn’t the only time he broke hearts in the state of Oklahoma. Facing off in the SEC Tournament, Kentucky had a nine-point lead with just over 90 seconds to play. Then they threw the ball away, time and time again. Oweh was the culprit of one of those crucial turnovers, and it helped give the Sooners the lead with 5.6 seconds to play. Oweh made up for that mistake by driving the length of the court to hit another off-balance game-winner.

 

That was fun. But we all know those plays were just a small snippet of what he provided during his first season at Kentucky. Daniel Hager has more than 50 minutes of Otega Oweh highlights. Drink ’em up.

 

 

More Kentucky News and Views on the KSR YouTube Channel

Kentucky Sports Radio has expanded its coverage of the Wildcats in the most ridiculous manner possible on our YouTube Channel. Here you will be able to find interviews with coaches and players, as well as commentary from the KSR crew. From Rapid Reactions following big events to our lengthy lineup of live shows, subscribe to the KSR YouTube Channel to stay up to date on everything happening around the Big Blue Nation.

 

 

 

chrisbeasmore A sports writer for A Sea of Blue. Beasmore helps to cover Kentucky football and basketball recruiting and the big games coming up for Kentucky sports.

The Kentucky Wildcats men’s basketball team is set to host another Multi-Team Event (MTE) during the 2025-26 season, according to college hoops insider Rocco Miller.

 

Valparaiso and Eastern Illinois are expected to be part of the MTE field, with EIU also traveling to play Valpo in a separate matchup. While official dates are still to be determined, the event adds another early-season opportunity for Kentucky to prepare for a challenging schedule.

 

This MTE joins an already loaded non-conference slate for the Wildcats in year two under head coach Mark Pope. Kentucky will host Loyola-Maryland on November 21 and Tennessee Tech on November 26 at Rupp Arena. Their annual showdown in the Champions Classic is set for November 18, when they’ll face Michigan State at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

 

A highly anticipated road game against rival Louisville is on the calendar for November 11, while December features marquee games against North Carolina in the SEC/ACC Challenge on December 2, Gonzaga in Nashville on December 5, Southern on December 7, NC Central on December 9, Indiana at Rupp on December 13, and Bellarmine on December 23.

 

With a schedule stacked with high-profile opponents and important regional matchups, Kentucky’s 2025-26 non-conference campaign is shaping up to be one of the most competitive and intriguing in recent memory. Coach Pope and the Wildcats will use these tests to build chemistry and experience ahead of SEC play and what they hope will be a deep 2026 NCAA Tournament run.

 

 

 

Ethan DeWitt serves as an editor with us here at A Sea of Blue.

Practice is underway for the Kentucky Wildcats this summer, as Mark Pope and his staff are looking to make some more noise in year two of their tenure in Lexington.

 

With plenty of new faces on the team (and some returners, too), the BBN has been clamoring for some insight into what the team looks like on the court.

 

Well, we haven’t exactly gotten the video yet, but we have gotten plenty of photos highlighting the team to this point in practice number two.

 

Probably the best highlight from the early look is that Jayden Quaintance is pictured in full practice gear. While there are no photos of him in action, it seems that the rehab process for the ACL is moving along well.

 

With over five months before the team plays its first game, the excitement around the fanbase is high.

 

Let’s take a quick look at some of the scenes from the first few days of practice:

 

 

The Louisville Cardinals beat the Kentucky Wildcats 41-14 during the Governor’s Cup at Kroger Field in Lexington, Ky., on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. By Herald-Leader photo staff

For any fans worried that Vince Marrow’s departure from Kentucky football for a job at archrival Louisville is a red flag for the future of the program, UK athletics director Mitch Barnhart has a message.

 

“That’s not the way to look at this thing,” Barnhart said when asked about the move by the Herald-Leader after Thursday’s athletics committee meeting. “I think things have changed in college athletics. Rosters change, staffs change. I’m thankful for the 12 years Vince gave us. He put a lot of heart and soul into our program, and appreciative of that.

 

What is the NIL valuation of Kentucky‘s 2025-26 roster? “It’s close to $200 million,” Mark Pope joked back in May. He wouldn’t touch on the specifics with a 10-foot pole, specifically relating to the alleged $20 million number floating out there since the Wildcats put a bow on the portal and high school additions — plus Otega Oweh‘s return both to the floor and on the payroll, likely with a hefty raise.

 

Kentucky will never admit publicly what Oweh made to turn down a likely selection in the NBA Draft to return to Lexington, nor will it share details on its expensive portal class. Pope will, however, make it clear that this program deserves the best of the best across the board.

 

Best roster budget? The winningest tradition in the history of college basketball needs to be in the conversation.

 

“This is the University of Kentucky. I never forget that. We should be the best at everything,” Pope said. “Put NIL, put the transfer portal on the list. Our job is to go be the best at everything. We’re not shying away from that. It’s important to us.”

 

If there is an NIL conversation to be had, especially as it relates to this roster, Oweh belongs in it. Again, we don’t know specifics, but he figures to be Kentucky’s top earner — and maybe among the richest in the sport next season.

 

Things are changing in a hurry with revenue sharing and the new NIL clearinghouse monitoring new deals — it won’t impact him personally, at least when it comes to agreements made up to this point — but as he sees it, he’s a fan of the setup.

 

“Um — I mean, they paying us, so that’s a great thing, for sure. I don’t really be keeping up with the settlement stuff like that,” Oweh said Tuesday. “As long as we’re getting paid, that’s good for me. Anything extra, that’s cool.”

 

It’s more of the same, Oweh entering the college ranks with NIL well underway in 2022, starting at Oklahoma before making his way to UK last offseason. That’s the case for everyone on the Kentucky roster, Florida transfer Denzel Aberdeen joining him as the lone seniors this time around. Deals have gotten more lucrative and players are changing schools like clothes, but the money topic isn’t something he’s heard come up often in college locker rooms — especially in Lexington.

 

It may turn heads for fans, but not necessarily for players. And when it’s talked about, it’s at the dinner table with family members, not teammates inside the basketball facilities.

 

“Nah (no locker room change), because when I came into college, that’s when NIL started. That’s what I’m used to, really,” he said. “I mean, the guys — I’m a senior now, so the guys after me, it’s gonna be the same with them. This hasn’t really changed anything for me, if I’m being honest. …