Evaluating Adou Thiero, D.J. Wagner, and Karter Knox in the Arkansas-Kentucky Game And…Luka Doncic is Now a Laker?

February 2nd, 2025

By Alan Lu

This time around, I decided it was time to watch Arkansas play, and what a better way to do so than to watch them play against Kentucky in a February 1st SEC basketball game?  After all, John Calipari was making his return to Rupp Arena, as well as his former players DJ Wagner, Adou Thiero, and Zvonimir Ivisic, and it was an opportunity to get another look at Kentucky’s players this season.  Adou Thiero, DJ Wagner, and numerous other Arkansas players turned in strong performances to lead their team to a double-digit win over Kentucky.  Here are my thoughts on how they and other various prospects performed, as well as where they may currently stack up as prospects for the NBA.

Adou Thiero scored 21 points, made 10 of 12 free throws, made a three-pointer, and hauled in 8 rebounds in Arkansas’ 89-79 win over Kentucky. (Photo: Jeff Drummond/Cats Illustrated, via Rivals)

Adou Thiero had a strong showing to help lead his team to a road win over Kentucky.  He is an athletic, energetic forward that excelled at making plays on both ends of the floor, and he made a big impact to help his team down the stretch.

Thiero did a good job of scoring off the dribble.  He has a solid first step as he can generate a quick burst to get to the hoop, and he has a knack for flailing and contorting his body in a way that wills himself to the free throw line.  Thiero is a foul-drawing expert that would often get to the charity stripe, and he particularly excelled at scoring on strong, left-handed drives to the hoop.  He also was able to catch a lob off of a back cut to score on a scintillating alley-oop dunk.  Plus, he also managed to score on an acrobatic, reverse layup around the basket.  Thiero showed off some rare outside shooting prowess, as he made an open three-pointer early on.  In this game, Thiero willed his way to continually score off the dribble, as he was an unstoppable force in the second half against Kentucky.

As a playmaker, he looked to be about average at best.  Thiero didn’t collect any assists, but he was able to make a drive and kick pass once to find the open man.  Sometimes though, he would over-penetrate and play too wildly, which would lead him to commit ball-handling turnovers.

Also, he did a good job of rebounding the basketball.  Thiero has a keen nose for the ball, and he was able to haul in multiple boards on both ends of the floor.  He also played satisfactory defense in this game.  Thiero showed a knack for poking balls away and intercepting passes to get steals.  On one play though, he got outmuscled on a baseline drive, as he ended up fouling his opponent and giving up the basket.  Another time, he fouled a jump shooter on a three-point shot that led to a four-point play.

In general, Adou Thiero played very well, as he is a very athletic forward that excelled as a scorer, rebounder, and defender in this game.  That he made a three-point shot was encouraging, but he will still need to significantly improve his outside shot, as he is a below 30% three-point shooter on the season.  Still, he is having a good junior season, and Thiero could end up going in the mid to late first round range in the 2025 draft.

Arkansas’ sophomore point guard, DJ Wagner scored 17 points (all in the second half), as he made 2 threes, dished out 8 assists, and had 3 rebounds in his team’s 89-79 win over Kentucky.
(Photo: Jordan Prather/Imagn Images, via Fansided’s Razorbackers)

DJ Wagner also turned in a strong performance, as he had a second half for the ages in his team’s win over Kentucky.  He did a terrific job of scoring and passing the basketball, and he continually made big shots to help his team get the victory.

Wagner did a very good job of scoring off the dribble.   He is a quick, strong guard that showed a great touch around the basket, as he had numerous strong finishes in this game.  He showed a good floater game, and he also was able to score on a switch of hands layup.  He also showed a much better outside shot than anticipated, and Wagner shot the three-ball well.   He was equally impressive as an outside shooter in this game as his footwork and shooting touch were on point, and he showed a good ability to make dribble, three-pointers.

He also showcased good playmaking skills.  Wagner showed a knack for making timely passes to find open shooters, which would help him rack up assists.  He also excelled at making passes off the dribble and finding teammates on the move, and he showed good patience and court vision as the floor general on offense.

Also, he was able to chip in to get a few boards for his team.  He’s an active defender that showed a willingness to contest shots, and Wagner appeared to block a shot off the dribble, but instead his team was whistled for a foul instead.  On a separate play, he closed out too hard on a three-point shot, which led him to commit a foul that time.  In this game, Wagner seemed to be penalized by the officials for closing out too hard on shooters, which led him to pick up a couple of fouls.

In summary, D.J. Wagner was terrific, especially in the second half to help his team get a much needed win over Kentucky.   While Arkansas has been disappointing this season, this win could help give them the boost they need to make that push for the 2025 NCAA Tournament.  Wagner is an athletic, energetic guard that has had his ups and downs over the course of his collegiate career, and he’ll need to be a more consistent outside shooter, but while his season stats may not be as gaudy as hoped, he is a talented prospect that may have considerable upside, which could make him a viable option for NBA teams to consider in the second round of the 2025 draft.

Johnell Davis’ long pass to Karter Knox helped set up a thrilling Knox fastbreak dunk in the second half of this game.
Source: (
X/@RazorbackMBB)

Karter Knox had a strong showing to help lead Arkansas to a double-digit win over Kentucky.  Though the 6-6 freshman has struggled to shoot well this season, this was the game Arkansas needed out of him to both get a win over Kentucky, and to help boost and inject some confidence into him for the rest of the year.

Knox shot the three-ball very well in this game.  He was able to make an open three-pointer off of a dribble handoff.  He also used a jab step to make an eye-popping, step-back three from the corner.   In addition, Knox showed a knack for running the floor to score on jaw-dropping, high-flying dunks on the break.  While he struggled to score on half-court drives, Knox’s emerging ability to knock down outside shots could be a promising sign for his future, as that complemented his transition game very well against Kentucky.

He also showcased satisfactory playmaking skills.  Knox was able to make some solid passes off the dribble as well as on the break, and he showed that he is an athletic swingman that can pass and handle the basketball.

Also, Knox was able to chip in to get boards on both ends of the floor.  He also played satisfactory defense in this game.  Knox was able to intercept a pass and poke a ball away to get steals for his team.  He also rotated to contest a shot off of a drive to force a miss.  On one play, he didn’t effectively communicate a screen to a teammate, as they allowed an opponent to score off the dribble.  Another time, he was over-aggressive in defending an opposing ball handler, and he ended up fouling him near the baseline.

Overall, Karter Knox is a very athletic, energetic forward that played very well to help his team get a big win over Kentucky.  He is a talented prospect that projects into a 3 and D role at the NBA level, and while he will still need to be a more consistent outside shooter, he may have considerable upside, as he could end up going in the late first to the second round range for the 2025 draft.

Zvonimir Ivisic also played well to help Arkansas get a double-digit win over Kentucky.  He showed a gifted shooting touch, and his superb ability to space the floor and score helped his team get a sizable victory.  Ivisic showed a good ability to knock down threes from beyond the arc.  He especially was terrific at making open, spot-up threes off the catch, as he was able to make one off of a pick-and-pop play, and he also made another three from way out.  His vast size also allows to shoot over smaller defenders, which can enable him to knock down threes effortlessly.

Plus, he also managed to score out of the post on a goaltend.  He also was perhaps above average as a playmaker in this game.  He was able to find the open man to notch an assist.  However, on another play, he dropped a catchable pass out of bounds late in the game that led him to commit a turnover.

Though he didn’t grab many rebounds, he was able to get his fair share of defensive boards in this game.  Defensively, he looked to be about average at best.  Sometimes he would use his size and length to contest shots around the basket to force misses.  On the downside, he would often get outmuscled when defending in the post, which would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores.  Another time, he whiffed on a steal attempt when defending out on the perimeter, and it led him to being badly out of position, which led his team to give up a dunk off the dribble.

Overall, Ivisic played well, and he was terrific at shooting and scoring the basketball in this game.  He is a sharpshooting big man that has shown an improved feel for the game, and he could be a solid find for an NBA team, especially if he is available for them to select in the second round range of the 2025 draft.

Amari Williams turned in a strong showing in his team’s tough loss to Arkansas.  He is a strong, athletic big man that excelled as an offensive player and rebounder, and he especially thrived at scoring out of the post as well as off the dribble.  Williams has very good strength as he would use his size and physicality to get deep position, and he would make strong moves to score around the basket.  He would score on strong finishes in traffic, and he also was able to score on a powerful dunk.  He struggled more to consistently score on turnaround jumpers, but Williams did a good job of scoring out of the post overall.

He also showed a good ability to score off the dribble.  Williams has a quick first step, as he would tend to throw down powerful dunks, and his strong finishes would enable him to consistently score in traffic.

He also showcased decent playmaking skills.  Williams is a fleet-footed big man that has solid court vision, and he also showed the ability to lead the break as the ball-handler.  He is an unselfish player that would get the ball to his teammates, and he would make quick drive-and-kick passes to notch assists.  On the downside, sometimes he would throw hasty, telegraphed passes that would end up getting intercepted.

Williams did a terrific job of rebounding the basketball, and he was able to get plenty of boards on both sides of the ball.   He also played adequate defense in this game.  He was able to intercept a pass to get a steal.  He also contested a shot inside to force a miss another time.  On one play though, he was late to rotate to defend a shooter, which led his team to give up a three-point basket.  Other times, he would look to aggressively make plays, but it would sometimes lead him to pick up fouls, and he also committed a goaltend when trying to block a shot late in this game.

Overall, Williams played very well, and he especially excelled as a scorer and rebounder in this game.  He is an athletic big man that can score and pass the basketball.  He will need to add a reliable outside shot to his game, but still, he could be a steal for an NBA team if he is available for them to select in the late first to the second round range, and he could end up being a solid role player in the NBA.

Jaxson Robinson had a strong showing in his team’s tough loss to Arkansas.  He turned in a much better performance than when he had played against Duke, and Robinson shot the lights out of the basketball to help his team on offense.  He also showed off some playmaking skills, as he was trusted to bring the ball up and run point, and he was able to make some good passes in this game.

Robinson shot the ball very well, especially from downtown.  He showed a knack for making open, spot-up threes off the catch, and he was able to make open from way out.  He also brought the ball up once, used a crossover, and then made a smooth pull-up three.  Plus, he also was able to leverage the threat of his three-point shot to draw three free throws another time.  Also, Robinson showed a very solid ability to score off the dribble.  After getting the ball on a dribble handoff once, he drove hard to the hoop to score and get fouled.  Plus, he also was able to make a tough, step-back mid-range jumper.

Though he didn’t get many rebounds in this game, he was able to get a few boards when he was on the floor.  Defensively, he was active, but there was one play where he gave up too much space to his man, which led him to allow his man to score on a corner three that time.

Overall, Robinson played very well, and he thrived primarily as a sharpshooter in this game.  He is a three-level scorer that can score from anywhere on the court, and he is an athletic swingman that projects well into a 3 and D role, and he also showed off some playmaking skills.  He is an interesting prospect that could be a solid pick for an NBA team in the second round range of the 2025 draft, and he may have the skills to develop into a solid role player in the NBA.

Billy Richmond had a tremendous steal and dunk, and this dunk could be in the running to be the dunk of the year.
(Source:
Twitter/@TheFieldof68, via @RazorbackMBB)

Billy Richmond also played well, despite only getting limited minutes in his team’s win over Kentucky.  He is a tremendously athletic swingman that made the play of the game, as he was able to jump a pass to get a steal, kept the ball in bounds, and he drove up court to score on a magnetic, breakaway dunk.

Plus, he also was able to pull up to make a mid-range jumper from the baseline another time.  Richmond also passed the ball well, as he was able to throw a very long outlet pass to find a teammate ahead to notch an assist.  He also was able to make a quick drive and kick pass to get the ball to a shooter another time.

Also, he was able to do a satisfactory job of rebounding the basketball, relative to the amount of time he was on the floor.  Overall, Richmond is a great athlete that can make hustle plays, and he’s been showing an emerging mid-range shot and passing skills.  In fact, he may be one of the best athletes in all of college basketball. He’ll need to extend his jump shot to beyond the three-point line, and he’ll need to get more playing time in the future, but Richmond is a fun to watch prospect that could end up being a first round pick in 2026 or in a future draft down the road.

Johnell Davis also turned in a strong performance to help lead his team to a double-digit win over Kentucky.  He reminded college basketball fans why he’s been one of the better players in their league, as he has helped Florida Atlantic get to the Final Four in 2023, and Davis had a very good all-around game to get Arkansas the victory over Kentucky.

Davis shot the ball very well, as he especially excelled at making threes and mid-range jumpers.  He showed that he can make outside shots both off the catch and dribble.  He can run off screens to knock them down, and he also used a pump fake to make a pull-up mid-range jumper.  He also was able to score on an aggressive drives in transition, and Davis is a crafty scorer that showed off a good jump shot in this game.

Also, he showcased solid playmaking skills.  Davis did a good job of making drive and kick passes as well as finding teammates on the break, which helped him rack up assists.  Occasionally though, he would make hasty passes back to his teammates, which would sometimes get intercepted.

Plus, Davis was able to get his fair share of boards to help his team on the glass.  He also defended well.  Davis would quickly jump passes to get a plenty of steals, and he also contested a deep three to force a miss once.  Overall, Davis played very well as he excelled in all facets of the game, and he is a smart, skilled combo guard that may be an underrated prospect, as he may have what it takes to make it to the NBA someday.

Kentucky’s 6-7 senior forward, Ansley Almonor also played very well in his team’s tough loss to Arkansas.  He is a sharpshooter that excels as a spot up shooter, despite being a low to moderate volume shooter in his team’s offense.  Almonor did a great job of making spot-up threes off the catch, and he also made a three while getting fouled once.  Plus, he also was able to score on a put back after grabbing an offensive rebound.

Plus, Almonor displayed decent playmaking skills.  He is an unselfish player that will look to find the open man, and Almonor was able to pick up an assist in this game.  Almonor also was able to get his fair share of boards, and while he didn’t get many defensive boards, he was able to get multiple offensive rebounds.  He was active defensively, but he would give up too much space when defending out on the perimeter, which would lead him to give up three-point baskets.

Overall, Almonor quietly played well in his team’s loss, and he is a mobile forward that could excel in a 3 and D role at the NBA level.

Trevon Brazile had a decent showing in his team’s win over Kentucky.  He played fairly well despite not being a featured member of his team’s offense, but there were times where he faded into the background too much.

Brazile showcased versatile scoring skills.  Despite not taking many shots, he was able to make an open corner three, and he also ran the floor to score on a fast break.  He also tried up posting up once, but he was called for a clear out move that led him to pick an offensive foul and a turnover that time.

Though he didn’t get many boards for a player his size, he was able to get a pair of defensive rebounds.  Brazile also played satisfactory defense in this game. He was able to block a shot off the dribble.  He also intercepted a pass to get a steal.  On the downside, he was a bit foul prone, and there was one play where he got outmuscled to allow a score when defending in the post.

Overall, Brazile showed that he is a skilled big man that can knock down shots, and while he’s had better games, he’s shown promise as a sharpshooting big man.  He’ll need to be more assertive on offense, but he could develop into being a situational big man at the NBA level, especially if he can play with more confidence moving forward.

Andrew Carr had his ups and downs in his team’s loss to Arkansas.  While he was a standout performer in his team’s surprise win over Duke early on, Carr didn’t play nearly as well this time around.

For the positives, Carr was able to make an open three-pointer to remind people that he is a skilled big man that can stretch the defenses and space the floor.  However, he missed on a turnaround midrange jumper off the dribble, and he also missed on a jump hook out of the post, as he struggled to find his shooting touch from the inside.

He did a decent job of passing and rebounding the basketball, and Carr is an unselfish player that can move the basketball.  He also played adequate defense.  He was able to block a shot off of a drive to a teammate.  On another play though, he got outmuscled when defending on a drive, which led him to commit a foul that time.

Overall, Carr didn’t have his best game, but he is a skilled stretch big that can provide floor spacing on offense.  He’ll need to show that he can consistently play well against taller, more athletic opponents, but he is a skilled big man that could project to be a backup big man at the NBA level.

Brandon Garrison had his ups and downs in his team’s loss to Arkansas.  On one good play, he was able to throw down a thunderous dunk in traffic.  On the downside, he struggled to finish plays consistently in traffic, and while he was bold and willing to take a three-point shot, he missed an open three badly when he took it.

He did showcase good playmaking skills.  Garrison made smart reads, and he threw good bounce passes to find cutters to set up scores and scoring chances for his teammates.  On the downside, he was called for setting a moving screen away from the play, which led him to commit an offensive foul and a turnover.

Also, he was able to get his fair share of boards, and while he only got one defensive rebound, he was able to get multiple offensive rebounds.    Overall, Garrison is an athletic big man that has potential as an interior player, but he will need to continue to improve his jump shot and find ways to get more playing time in games.   Currently, he is a second round prospect for the 2025 draft, and he could project to be a rotational big man in the NBA.

Otega Oweh had his ups and downs in his team’s loss to Arkansas.  After having a good start to the game, he struggled to consistently score as the game progressed, and he was unable to make any of his three-pointers.  For the positives, he showed a satisfactory ability to score off the dribble.  He was able to split a double team to score at the rim.  He also would score on strong moves to the hoop, and he also threw down a thunderous dunk another time.  On the downside, he’s not a particularly good outside shooter, and he really struggled to make threes or mid-range jumpers.

He didn’t seem to make any noteworthy passes that seemed to contribute in a positive way.  On one play though, he threw a bad pass that got intercepted.  Though he didn’t get many rebounds, he was able to get boards on both ends of the floor.  He also played satisfactory defense.  Oweh was able to block a shot off of a drive to a teammate.  On the downside, he tried to defend an opponent off the dribble, but his lack of size made it difficult for him to defend the shot, which led him to give up a mid-range basket that time.

Overall, Oweh didn’t play very well, and he’ll need to shoot much better from the outside, but he is an athletic combo guard that can make energetic plays on both ends of the floor.  He’ll need more seasoning and time to hone his game, but currently, he is a second round prospect that could benefit from staying at Kentucky for another season.

Koby Brea also didn’t play very well in this game, but he had his moments in his team’s loss to Arkansas.  Though he didn’t shoot the ball very well, he was able to run off of a ball screen to get the ball quickly on a dribble handoff, which enabled him to make a deep three.  He also scored on a dunk off of a backdoor cut.  On the downside, he struggled to make threes, especially on pull-up jumpers, and he was inconsistent as a passer in this game.  Overall, Brea is a sharpshooting guard that didn’t shoot the ball well in this game, but his ability to make shots could make him an option to be selected late in the second round, as he could project to be a shooting specialist at the NBA level.

Other Notes:

This game certainly did not disappoint, and it had everything that a college basketball fan could want.  This game had takeover performances from Thiero and Wagner, as they scored at will in the second half, and multiple big men from both teams displayed their shooting prowess, and the stretch bigs were out in full force tonight.  This was a strong display of offensive skills, as Zvonimir Ivisic was particularly impressive in shooting the ball from beyond the arc.  Also, there were plenty of rim-rocking dunks, as there were highlight reel-worthy jams from Billy Richmond, Karter Knox, and Amari Williams, and Richmond’s dunk may come close to VJ Edgecombe’s late game Gonzaga dunk as the college basketball dunk of the season.  And Arkansas’ guards passed the ball very well.  This was pretty much what a college basketball game should be.  While I would’ve liked to see some more movement, screens, and cutting actions, and an argument could be made that there were too many foul called and free throws given away, I was entertained by watching this game, and it was a good game.

Anyways, those are my thoughts on Thiero, Wagner, Knox, Ivisic, Williams, and other various prospects that played in this game.  The draft board will continue to change as the season progresses, so that will be interesting.  Also…

Other Notes, Part II:

Luka Doncic was just dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers, and Anthony Davis was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in a three-team deal. Did Dallas just make the worst trade of their franchise?
Source: (
X/@ShamsCharania)

Luka Doncic was just traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, along with other players for Anthony Davis, other players, and picks.   This just happened.  I’ll need some time to fully process this, especially since Doncic just helped the Mavericks get to the 2024 NBA Finals just last season. 

Well anyways, thanks for reading.

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