The No. 10 Arkansas RazorbacksThe No. 10 Arkansas Razorbacks are set to kick off its 2025 NCAA Tournament stint on Thursday night, battling legendary head coach Bill Self and the No. 7 Kansas Jayhawks in Providence, R.I. The Razorbacks closed out the regular season winning four of their last five games, ultimately guiding them over the hump en route to receiving an at-large bid. Prior to the first-round tilt, head coach John Calipari revealed some disappointing news, notifying the public that junior Adou Thiero will not play in the team’s inaugural tournament against the Jayhawks. Thiero missed the Hogs’ final four regular season games and their two games in the SEC Tournament with a hyperextended knee, suffered on Feb. 22 in Arkansas’ 92-85 win over the No. 15 Missouri Tigers.
Thiero, who played in 26 games before suffering his injury, is averaging a team-high 15.6 points, a team-high six rebounds, two assists and 1.7 steals per contest while shooting 54.8% from the field and 26.2% from deep. In those six games without Thiero, the Razorbacks went 4-2, which should put some Hogs fans at ease, knowing that the team is able to compete and win without their leading scorer. Thiero’s two strongest performances came against Illinois on Nov. 28 and against UTSA on Dec. 7, scoring a season-high 26 points in each. Against the Roadrunners, Thiero reached a double-double, grabbing ten rebounds as well, also helping with three assists and one block.
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The news, however, does sting Razorback fans as most were hopeful that the 6-foot-8 forward would be back in time as they embark on their first NCAA Tournament journey under Calipari. Arkansas, on a positive note, did receive some great news just a couple of days ago as freshman guard Boogie Fland, who suffered a hand injury on Jan. 22 against the Florida Gators, will be returning for the NCAA Tournament Following his injury, it was originally reported that Fland would miss the remainder of the season. If Arkansas defeats Kansas, it will then face either No. 2 Saint John’s or No. 15 Omaha, depending on who comes out on top. Assuming the Red Storm overrule the Mavericks, it would set up a date between Calipari and legendary head coach Rick Pitino in the Round of 32, two former University of Kentucky coaches and two coaches that have at least one National Championship win under their belts.
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