Adou Thiero and Karter Knox have had a good showing at the NBA Combine. But in a time when the dollar signs sometimes match up better at the collegiate level, combined grades matter a little less. According to one college basketball insider, Thiero and Knox may have found a reason to stay at Arkansas.
Could both Thiero and Knox return to Arkansas?
Matt Norlander of CBS joined the Eye On College Basketball podcast, and near the end of the one-hour and eight-minute video, he said something that perked up the ears of Hog fans on social media.
"Adou Thiero and Karter Knox, I think they both wind up back at Arkansas," said Norlander.
That 14-word sentence turned a lot of heads in the fanbase because at least one was thought to be a lock for the NBA draft. The vibe around Knox testing the waters suggested he would return despite boosting his draft stock in the process. On the other hand, Thiero was undoubtedly the best player on the 2024-25 team.
The Kentucky transfer led the Razorbacks with 15.1 points and 5.8 rebounds a game, willing Arkansas to victory at moments. He also had 1.9 assists, 1.6 steals., and .7 blocks to go with it. Of all the three Razorbacks that entered the draft, he was the most likely to stay.
His shooting percentage going into the combine was his main point of criticism. While he shot 54.5 percent from the floor, most of his attempts were close to the rim. He was excellent at drawing fouls but often struggled at the charity stripe.
Despite the shooting woes, most outlets projected him to go in the mid-first to early second round. But maybe, if the money matched up better at Arkansas, it could persuade him to return.
Concerns about Knox and Thiero's representation
However, some posed questions about their eligibility. The NCAA requires players entering the draft process to sign with an NCAA-certified agent (if they choose to sign with one) to return to college. Knox's agent from college, Kevin Bradbury, is not included in the NCAA's agent directory, and only one agent with Thiero's agency, Klutch Sport, is included.
While it's something to watch, there's an important yet separate distinction to make with each. First, while we know what agency Thiero signed with, who his actual agent is has not been released. So, Michael Kneisley, the one Klutch Sports agent listed in the directory, may very well be Thiero's agent. Thiero isn't included in his current client list, but it's not known if it's a comprehensive list or if it's been updated since Thiero entered the draft.
On the other hand, Knox's agent is known, but Bradbury is not listed in the NCAA directory. It’s unclear how current the directory is, and it’s also uncertain if Knox signed Bradbury to represent him during the NBA draft process. Bradbury has represented the star freshman before he stepped foot on a collegiate basketball court, but that representation was specifically for NIL deals. As long as Knox didn't allow Bradbury to represent him during the draft prospect, he could still return to Arkansas.
If both returned to play for the Hogs, it would be a significant turn of events. Knox has already shown much improvement since his first game as a Razorback. And for Arkansas to return its leading scorer, it could be the difference in making the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament and going to the Final Four.