One man who has been carefully following Adou Thiero’s college basketball career is Mike Mastroianni, who coached the Arkansas junior in high school during his stellar career at Quaker Valley.
Thiero led the Quakers to a WPIAL Class 4A title in 2021-22 and was named the TribLive HSSN Boys Basketball Player of the Year. He averaged 23.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 3.9 steals and 2.3 blocks per game as a senior.
After playing his first two college seasons at Kentucky, Thiero emerged as a double-digit scorer in 2024-25 as a 6-foot-8, 220-pound forward at Arkansas and has declared for the NBA Draft.
“I’m excited for Adou’s next step and the opportunity in front of him,” Mastroianni said. “I am not surprised by Adou’s impact at the college level. He has carried high expectations and goals for himself for a long time, and I can’t wait to see how things play out for him. He is so deserving.”
Thiero averaged 15.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per game this winter for the Razorbacks. He played for Kentucky in his first two college seasons before following coach John Calipari to Arkansas.
Thiero, whose sister Oumou (“Mimi”) is a 6-4 junior at QV and considered one of the top female basketball players in the WPIAL, disclosed his decision to enter the draft April 8 on social media.
His Instagram announcement read as follows:
“I want to start by giving all glory to God for blessing me with the talent, strength and opportunities to get to this point. This decision comes after much thought and reflection, and I am incredibly grateful for the experiences I’ve had throughout my journey.
“I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to the University of Arkansas, Coach Cal, staff, GAs, managers, teammates, fans, and all of Razorback Nation for their unwavering support and belief in me. The memories we’ve created and the lessons I’ve learned here will always hold a special place in my heart. I want to also thank my family and friends for being there for me and supporting me every step of the way, especially my mom and dad with how much they have sacrificed to put my siblings and I in better positions to be successful.
“After a lot of hard work, dedication and preparation, I am ready to take the next step in my career, and I can’t wait to see where this journey leads. With that being said, I’d like to announce I am officially declaring for the 2025 NBA Draft.”
Thiero and Markus Frank formed a dynamic senior duo for Quaker Valley, which celebrated the most successful boys basketball season in school history in ‘21-22 when QV finished as state runner-up.
Thiero and Frank earned first-team all-state honors in a statewide vote of sportswriters, and Mastroianni was named coach of the year in Class 4A after the Quakers went 27-1. Frank averaged 28.1 points and 10 rebounds.
This season, Frank was a redshirt guard/forward on the men’s basketball team at Shippensburg. He was named the PSAC Eastern Division Freshman of the Year following a breakthrough debut season in 2023-24.
The NBA Draft will take place June 25-26.