John Calipari, a Hall of Fame coach known for developing NBA talent, saw a notable streak come to a close at the 2025 NBA Draft. For the first time since 2008, no player coached by Calipari was selected in the first round. Arkansas forward Adou Thiero went undrafted in the opening round, ending Calipari’s 17-year run that began with Derrick Rose’s No. 1 selection in 2008 while Calipari was at Memphis.
2025 NBA Draft Marks First Without John Calipari First-Rounder Since 2008
For the first time in 17 years, a Calipari-coached player was not selected in the opening round of the NBA Draft. The 2025 draft, held Wednesday in Brooklyn, ended Calipari’s unprecedented run that began in 2008 with Rose going No. 1 overall to the Chicago Bulls following a Final Four appearance at Memphis.
Arkansas forward Thiero, Calipari’s top draft hopeful this year, was not among the first 30 names called. Projected by several national outlets as a likely early second-rounder, Thiero now awaits his selection Thursday.
Crazy but true: John Calipari did not produce a first round pick in the NBA Draft for the first time since 2007. pic.twitter.com/qMuDZrfnPE
— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) June 26, 2025
He averaged 15.1 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting 54.5% in his only season with the Razorbacks, ranking second in the SEC in field goal percentage. He was in the starting lineup for 26 of 27 games and missed nine games overall, with eight of those coming during SEC play because of a hyperextended left knee.
Thiero began his career under Calipari at Kentucky before transferring to Arkansas alongside his coach. He averaged 2.3 and 7.2 points per game in his two seasons with the Wildcats before earning a larger role in 2024–25 as Arkansas relied on an eight-man rotation. He started every game until a five-minute outing in the Sweet 16, where the Razorbacks were eliminated.
Thiero was Arkansas’ only legitimate first-round prospect in this cycle. Boogie Fland and Zvonimir Ivisic were also once viewed as possible first-rounders, but both transferred after one year in Fayetteville. Fland will suit up for Florida in 2025–26, while Ivisic has moved to Illinois to improve his draft chances. Fland remains a projected first-rounder in 2026.
Since 2000, Arkansas has sent 12 players to the NBA. Between 2010 and 2018, only Bobby Portis was drafted. Calipari, who led Kentucky from 2009 to 2024, produced 37 first-round picks during his tenure, 25 of whom were selected in the lottery. His time in Lexington included three No. 1 overall selections: John Wall in 2010, Anthony Davis in 2012, and Karl-Anthony Towns in 2015, before he made the move to Arkansas.
