Five-Star+ SG Meleek Thomas down to 7 schools
Meleek Thomas, a Five-Star Plus+ shooting guard in the 2025 class, has narrowed his list of schools down to seven: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Kansas, Kansas State, Pitt, and UConn.
The 6-foot-3 rising senior is a native of Pittsburgh, PA but recently announced he would be transferring to Overtime Elite in Atlanta, GA for his senior year. He has taken official visits to Pitt, UConn, and Auburn. In a recent interview with On3, Thomas said: “I’m taking visits to Arkansas, Kansas, Alabama, and potentially Kansas State. I don’t have the dates yet, but I’ll probably take them around September or October.”
In addition to his finalists, Thomas also received offers from Illinois, Ole Miss, Georgia, Rutgers, Providence, Penn State, Duke, Tennessee, Xavier, Villanova, Indiana, and others.
According to the On3 Industry Rankings, Thomas is the No. 6 overall prospect in the 2025 cycle. He’s also the No. 2 shooting guard prospect. The On3 Industry Ranking is a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
Thomas talks programs involved
In a previous interview with On3, Meleek Thomas broke down the programs in the hunt for his talents.
PITTSBURGH: “They’re on my heavy, still. They’re pushing the hometown kid and letting me know that I can do everything I want from home. They’re contacting me every day, letting me know they are still here. They want me to keep them in the loop.
“Seeing Bub (Carrington) go one-and-done plays a big role. Seeing him do this in the most recent year lets me know that they can do it. When Pitt gets a player, they develop them and let get them where they want to go. So seeing that is big.”
AUBURN: “I hear from them often. They always let me know they think that I’m the top guy in my class and that Auburn can always be home. They’re letting me know that their guards are probably leaving, so there is room to come in and replace them.”
UConn: “It was an amazing visit. They’re back-to-back champions, so it is hard not to like. They have a winning culture, a hard and gritty culture. They get after it on defense and let that turn into offense. The things they preach and what Coach (Dan) Hurley sees for me in his program is great to me. I’m glad I took that visit.
“They play in two different facilities. They split it up playing in both of them throughout the season. It’s top-of-the-line there. The campus is low and ducked off, there is not too much to do, but it’s a basketball campus. When I went there, I felt basketball. That is how I want to feel when I go to a program.”
ARKANSAS: “Coach Cal (John Calipari) and Coach Chin (Coleman) just want to let me know that they’re there every step of the way. I hear from them very often, and I feel the love and it is genuine from them. I want to see how their recruitment looks and who all is going to be there when I’m there. That is what I’m waiting to see unfold. Their communication with me is excellent.
“When I went on my visit with them to Kentucky, things felt good. I didn’t feel like I was an outsider and it was comfortable being around them.”
KANSAS: “They have a pro program. They get their guards there, they get unknown players to the league. Imagine what they can do with a top-ranked dude who is going to be in the gym and basketball is his life. They have a lot of TV games and the staff really cares and supports me, I just talked with Bill Self not to long ago and I hear from Norm Roberts probably every day. So they’re in the mix and if you have a school who consistently puts themselves in the mix, how can you lose sight of them?”
ALABAMA: “They run a guard-heavy program. They’ve had a lot of guards come out of there. I like how they play, I’ve studied their play style and I’ve heard and asked around about their facilities and I’ve seen how they let their guards rock. So with all of that, they are a school that I want to take a visit and see more about.”
KANSAS STATE: “They have an all-black staff and have been very supportive. They have been there with me every step of the way. When all of the coaches on a staff are communicating with you that much and you truly feel that genuine love from all of them, how could you not set a visit with them and keep them in the loop? They’re bringing everything I’m looking for in a school, regardless of their location.”