Announcements:Adou Thiero sent onforgting massage to Kentucky wildcat

Two days after it was confirmed that Adou Thiero had entered his name in the NCAA transfer portal, the Kentucky basketball player released a statement on his future.

Thiero — a 6-foot-8 forward from the Pittsburgh area — posted a message addressed to UK fans on X on Saturday morning.

“After talking to Coach (John) Calipari, I feel it is best at this time to test the waters professionally, entering my name in the 2024 NBA Draft, while keeping all of my options open, including a return to Kentucky,” Thiero said in his statement. “I’d like to thank the fans, my coaches and teammates for their support over the last two years. I look forward to going through this process to determine the next step for me.”

Thiero did not mention the transfer portal in his statement, though the Herald-Leader confirmed Thursday afternoon that he had entered his name in that pool. Players who enter the 2024 NBA draft will have until May 29 to remove their name from consideration and retain NCAA eligibility. Thiero is not listed among the top 100 prospects for this year’s NBA draft, according to ESPN’s rankings.

Players who enter their names in the transfer portal can return to their current schools, though that is not the most common outcome.

Calipari has said in the days since the 2023-24 season ended that he would welcome any players back from the current roster, and he’s also stressed that the Wildcats need to be a more physical team next season. Thiero was one of UK’s most physical players this past season, filling a number of roles for the Cats over the past two years.