By ADAM ZAGORIA
Five-star guard Meleek Thomas announced his commitment to John Calipari and Arkansas on Monday.
The 6-foot-4 guard from Overtime Elite also considered his hometown school Pitt.
“I will be committing to the University of Arkansas,” he said at his announcement.
“John Calipari, he’s trying to put his players and the people around him in position for after basketball,” Thomas told Overtime Elite ahead of his announcement. “Just by talking to him, you feel like you’re not talking to nobody regular. It feels very genuine. He’s been consistent coming to see me since eighth/ninth grade, so when a coach of that caliber is coming to see you that young, it’s like pay attention to that.
“His track record says it all. I always try to keep up with his players and who he sends to the league, but he has more and more every year.”
He added: “When I was making my college decision, I wanted to make sure that everything was a fit from play style and how they will use me on the team but also that it felt like home to me and my family. Family is so important to me – and with Coach Cal and the team at Arkansas, I felt at home. I am going to spend my senior season at OTE, just developing and continuing to be the best player I can so I can make an impact in Fayetteville right away.”
Although UConn was heavily involved for Thomas early, they have now completed their 2025 recruiting class following their latest addition of Tasmanian wing Jacob Furphy, which was first reported over on NJ.com. Thomas cut Alabama, Auburn, Kansas and Kansas State from his previous list of seven schools. Thomas joins five-star guard Darius Acuff in Calipari’s 2025 class.5⭐️ guard Meleek Thomas commits to Arkansas over #Pitt and UConn.
— George Michalowski (@MichalowskiCBB) November 12, 2024
The Pittsburgh native is the No. 7 player in the country. John Calipari lands his second five-star, top-10 guard in the 2025 class. pic.twitter.com/pLkByUoDNQ
“Meleek’s a player with an extremely high motor and contributes on both ends of the court,” said Aki Collins, Head of Scouting, Recruiting and Retention, OTE. “He’s a long, versatile guard that can shoot from the perimeter but also get to the basket with ease. He’ll bring a refined set of skills but also energy and leadership to an exciting Arkansas team.” “Meleek’s already impressed me in just two regular season games at OTE – he’s a player that truly rises to the occasion at every turn,” said Damien Wilkins, Head of Competition, OTE. “He’s already proven his ability on the court but his intangibles as a vocal and dynamic leader make him a special player. As he spends even more time with our coaching and player development team at OTE and continues to build on his already strong foundation, the sky really is the limit for him.” Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter Follow ZAGSBLOGHoops on Instagram And Like ZAGS on FacebookMeleek Thomas has been impressing many in the City Reapers’ preseason action 🍿 @ThomasMeleek pic.twitter.com/NG7ZbtvGfR
— Overtime Elite (@OvertimeElite) October 11, 2024
