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John Calipari Names One NBA Draft Prospect Not to Miss Out On

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Eric Nacach | Last updated Jun 19, 2025 4:55 PM ET

Arkansas men's basketball coach John Calipari joined Pat McAfee on ESPN's "The Pat McAfee Show" on Thursday.

Calipari began his head coaching career in 1988 and has since led programs at Massachusetts, Memphis, Kentucky and most recently, Arkansas.

Over his career, he has made six Final Four appearances and won a national championship with Kentucky in 2012. Calipari has also produced numerous NBA players, with over 50 of his former college athletes being selected in the NBA Draft.

During the segment, the Hall of Fame coach vouched for one of his former players, warning NBA franchises not to overlook him in this year's draft.

"Adou Thiero, if anybody misses that, it's going to be like they missed on... You ready? Immanuel Quickley," said Calipari. "Adou Thiero is a first-round draft pick, and I'm going to tell you why. The league, I love the physicalness of the league right now. I love it, because you've got to work to get a basket. It ain't 'horse' anymore."

It's important to note that Thiero transferred from Kentucky to Arkansas after two seasons, likely to follow Coach Calipari to his new program.

"I wouldn't miss on Adou Thiero in this draft..

He can play in a physical game and athletically he's in that one percent..

He's that good and he's a good kid" @CoachCalArk #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/coqTKGddkx
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) June 19, 2025

The Razorback averaged 15.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists in his junior year, before being sidelined with a hyperextended knee sustained on February 22 in a game against conference rival Missouri.

From an NBA perspective, the biggest concern for him is his shooting ability, making only 25.6% of his threes and shooting a below-average 71.1% from the free-throw line in college.

Thiero is currently projected as a late first-round pick to an early second-round pick in this year's draft, taking place on June 25.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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