Meleek Thomas declares for NBA Draft, will maintain college eligibility
By Ethan Stone
Published:
In an unsurprising move, Arkansas basketball‘s standout freshman Meleek Thomas has announced that he will enter the NBA Draft while maintaining his college eligibility, leaving the door open for a potential return to college.
Notably, Thomas has not entered his name into the transfer portal, which closes on April 21. The former McDonalds All-American is currently projected as a late first-round pick.
Thomas was slightly outshined by another star freshman on Arkansas’ roster, Darius Acuff. But don’t let that distract you from the fact that Thomas is a special talent about to test the waters in a very, very deep draft class.
Thomas averaged 15.6 points per game with 3.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, hitting 43.5% of his shots from the field and 41.6% of his shots from range (82-197). He’s also a strong defender, an impressive athlete and protects the basketball well while hitting 84% of his shots from the free throw line. He was the SEC’s top 3-point shooter, hitting 48.7% of his shots from range in conference play.
A deep draft class makes this an intriguing decision for Thomas. He could very well return to school and maintain a top 10 selection next season if he holds a candle to his freshman year, made especially more tempting by the current NIL landscape of college basketball. With another impressive freshman class incoming next year in Fayetteville, Thomas’s decision will definitely be one to watch.
The NBA Playoffs are set. Here’s a look at the latest odds to cut down the nets, per Kalshi:
Ethan Stone is a Tennessee graduate and loves all things college football and college basketball. Firm believer in fouling while up 3.
