Meleek Thomas gives Arkansas its second top-10 recruit for 2025

Five-star prospect Meleek Thomas committed to Arkansas on Monday, giving coach John Calipari and the Razorbacks their second top-10 recruit in the 2025 class.

Arkansas is now the only program in the country with multiple top-10 finishes. Thomas, No. 9 in the ESPN 100 and No. 2 shooting guard, joins Darius Acuff (No. 8/No. 1 point guard).

Thomas chose the Razorbacks over his hometown of Pittsburgh, while UConn had also previously recruited Thomas and was on its final list.

“Everyone I spoke to was so positive about Coach Cal,” Thomas told ESPN. “He touched so many lives with his boys becoming NBA players and so many others. He and the staff stayed in touch with me and my family throughout. I value family and Coach Cal is a warm person who has built a great relationship with me and my family.

Arkansas made a big push in recruiting Thomas to become the clear leader, with the Razorbacks’ new system a key factor in his decision.

“Their style of play was a deciding factor,” Thomas said. “Coach Cal takes responsibility for himself and his players. I’m the type of person who wants to know the truth so I can learn and grow. They will have a lot of people who can score and I feel comfortable playing defense straight away.” .

“The buzz and energy for the program is exciting and I want to be a part of it.”

Thomas is a 6-foot-2 guard from Pittsburgh who currently plays in the Overtime Elite program. He was one of the top scorers on the Nike EYBL circuit last spring, ranking ninth with 20.3 points per game. He also averaged 6.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists and shot just under 34% from 3-point range. In six games with the New Heights Lightning at the Nike Peach Jam in July, he averaged 18.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting better than 37% from 3.

Thomas has the mentality of a goalscorer, but is also able to provide timely assists. He has a slim build with decent speed and is particularly effective in transition, be it as a counterattack leader or as a finisher. He is aggressive but confident with the ball in his hands, and doesn’t rush to get to his spot on the floor. Thomas can play both guard positions and has made strides in ball-screen situations.

Arkansas now has two of the elite guards in the 2025 class, with Thomas joining forces with Acuff in Fayetteville. Acuff, the top-ranked point guard in the country, committed to the Razorbacks in July. Both are enough to push Arkansas to the top of the rankings for the 2025 recruiting class, but the Razorbacks are also putting heavy pressure on No. 5 prospect Caleb Wilson.