John Calipari and the Arkansas Razorbacks find themselves in a predicament going into their last two games of the 2024-25 regular season.
Their leading scorer Adou Thiero, who averages 15.6 points and six rebounds per game, will be unavailable for the team’s game against the Vanderbilt Commodores on Tuesday night.
CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein first reported the news, stating the reason for Thiero’s absence from the rotation is due to an ongoing knee injury.
Thiero hyperextended his knee during the Razorbacks’ contest against the Missouri Tigers on Feb. 22. He’s missed the last two games, making this game against Vanderbilt his third straight absence.
How John Calipari, Arkansas adjusts without Adou Thiero
It will be important for John Calipari and the Arkansas Razorbacks to perform well without their leading scorer Adou Thiero.
Arkansas went 1-1 in the two games Thiero missed, averaging 69.5 points on offense but giving up 76.5 points on defense in this stretch. Their last performance saw them fall in a humbling 72-53 blowout defeat to the South Carolina Gamecocks on March 1.
Arkansas currently has a 17-12 overall record, going 6-10 after 16 SEC matchups. They are in the bottom half of the league standings, sitting at 11th. However, ending conference play on a strong note would give them a chance at having a potential spot in the NCAA Tournament.
They average 75.6 points on 46.2% shooting from the field and 33.1% from beyond the arc, beating opponents by a margin of 5.7 points per game. With Thiero out again, they will look to Johnell Davis, DJ Wagner and Karter Know to step up with more production on offense.
After their matchup against Vanderbilt, the Razorbacks will return home for the season finale. They host the Mississippi State Bulldogs on March 8 at noon ET.
The post John Calipari, Arkansas Razorbacks will fight for NCAA Tourney hopes sans leading scorer appeared first on ClutchPoints.
