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

Five-star prospect Meleek Thomas committed Monday to Arkansas, 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 commits already in the fold, with Thomas, No. 9 in the ESPN 100 and the No. 2 shooting guard, joining Darius Acuff (No. 8/No.1 point guard).

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

«Everyone I spoke with was so positive on Coach Cal,» Thomas told ESPN. «He has touched so many lives with his guys becoming NBA players and so many others. He and the staff stayed in contact with both me and my family the whole time. I am big on family, and Coach Cal is a warm-hearted person who built a great relationship with both me and my family.»

Arkansas made a strong push down the stretch of Thomas' recruitment to become the clear leader, with the Razorbacks' new system a key factor in his decision.

«Their play style was a separating factor,» Thomas said. «Coach Cal holds himself accountable and his players accountable. I am the type that wants to know the truth so I can learn and grow. They will have a lot of guys who can score, and I am comfortable coming in and playing defense right away.

»The crowds and energy for the program is exciting, and I want to be part of it."

Thomas is a 6-foot-4 guard from Pittsburgh who is currently playing 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, shooting just under 34% from 3-point range. In six games with the New Heights Lightning at the Nike Peach