"I begged him, 'please give us 10 minutes'": John Calipari on requesting 20-year-old Arkansas star to play even when "he couldn't walk"
John Calipari's Arkansas Razorbacks escaped Madison Square Garden with an 89-87 victory over the No. 14 Michigan Wolverines in the Jimmy V Classic on Tuesday night. Calipari acknowledged in an interview with ESPN's Scott Van Pelt that the win would not have been possible without the heroics of Arkansas star Adou Thiero.
Thiero scored 13 points, grabbed four rebounds and recorded one steal in 22 minutes of action. He shot 6-for-9 from the field, including 1-for-2 from beyond the arc, despite not being at full strength.
Thiero played through flu-like symptoms and was visibly fatigued in the closing minutes of the win against Michigan. Calipari urged the 20-year-old to suit up against the Wolverines, knowing his importance to the Razorbacks' system.
"Adou shouldn't have played today. He had the flu. I begged him, 'Please give us 10 minutes.' And then I played him probably 20. But he gave four offensive rebounds up in the end because he couldn't walk. I'm just happy we fought and got by it," Calipari said.
Calipari discussed Thiero's health condition more in the postgame press conference, telling reporters the Arkansas forward was in bad shape before the showdown with Michigan.
"We have not been healthy. Today, Adou Thiero should not have played. Was anybody at our shootaround? He couldn't go in the shootaround," Calipari said.
John Calipari leans on Arkansas' balanced offensive attack to beat Michigan
It wasn't just Adou Thiero who delivered for John Calipari's Arkansas as four other players scored in double figures for the Razorbacks. Boogie Fland led all scorers with 20 points. He shot 6-for-18 and made all six of his free-throw attempts. He also tallied seven assists and two steals in 37 minutes of play.
D.J. Wagner and Jonas Aidoo added 16 and 11 points, respectively, while Trevon Brazile provided a crucial spark off the bench, scoring 15 points and grabbing six rebounds.
The Razorbacks erased a 15-point deficit in the first half and built an 18-point lead with 10:15 remaining in the second. They survived a late rally from the Wolverines, who cut Arkansas’ lead to 88-87 with 1:28 left.
The Razorbacks’ defense held firm, keeping Michigan scoreless in the final 88 seconds to give Calipari his eighth win of the season.