2025 Recruiting: Meleek Thomas Watch

[TheHorde]

Patience you guys. The young man said he wanted to make a thoughtful decision and likely wouldn’t have an announcement until the fall. Have faith in this staff and the process.

 

[Ricker]

I doubt if any recruits we are targeting will commit before Oct. It seems they all have many visits scheduled and reasons to kick the tires on multiple other schools. We're going to get quality players, recruiting this fall or portal next spring. As fans we're just going to have to suck it up until decisions happen.

 

[Umami Zen]

Duke fans must be getting nervous. No 2025 commits yet. Sound familiar?

 

[HooperScooper]

We are that all those crystal balls came out for us and nothing lately

This seems to be a late committing class. Only 7 of the top 40 recruits on 247Sports have committed. And not a single one UConn has been involved with. I don't count Acuff because UConn wasn't recruiting him. UConn will get theirs. Need to be patient.

2025 Top Basketball Recruits

The 247Sports rankings are determined by our recruiting analysts after countless hours of personal observations, film evaluation and input from our network of scouts.

247sports.com

 

[RuffRuff]

This was talked about in a recent podcast, and part of today’s NIL landscape. It makes no sense to commit early, even if you love one school. You test your market, hear your offers and see how it all lands. It’s part of why all these kids have lists of 8-12, including the blue bloods and NIL darlings (Arkansas).

The only risk if you’re a player, I suppose, is if your school of choice is entertaining multiple players of your position and someone else decides to step up and commit. With that as a staff, there is something to be said about wanting being wanted.

If Meleek goes Arkansas, god bless. I’m just not sure what Cal is offering these days other than $$ and classes around how to carry yourself once you go NBA. To be in a room to hear his pitch…….

I’m not overly worried with Meleek. We have insurance policies. If he’s as high on UConn as he sounds, and the analysts think, he’s coming. If not so be it, wasn’t meant to be.

 

[navery12]

Meleek has taken one visit, and has openly talked about the visits he wants to take in the fall. I don't know what people expected but nothing is surprising in how this has played out

 

[RuffRuff]

 

[UCFan1513]

x.com

x.com

Lmao Pitt and K State

 

[RuffRuff]

Lmao Pitt and K State

From Pittsburgh so I get it - KSt is the one school that’s only on the list because of NIL (hello Coleman Hawkins). Manhattan, KS makes Storrs look like Bali.

 

[UCFan1513]

From Pittsburgh so I get it - KSt is the one school that’s only on the list because of NIL (hello Coleman Hawkins). Manhattan, KS makes Storrs look like Bali.

K State makes more sense - they’ve actually made the tournament in recorded human history. But both are still wild. Who knows what is actually the case

 

[husky99]

NIL is a reality

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

If Meleek goes Arkansas, god bless. I’m just not sure what Cal is offering these days other than $$ and classes around how to carry yourself once you go NBA. To be in a room to hear his pitch…….

Something something something, 3 guys on team USA, something something something, look at the all star roster, something something something, look at who’s most teams best players are.

It’s not a hard pitch lol. Especially when you’re talking to players who believe they can be that good.

 

[djct1999]

NIL is a reality

It’s also a litmus test for the staff. Kids looking for the highest nil first is not part of UConn dna. One of the biggest advantages of having our staff, is we don’t have to lose any sleep over recruiting. They always find the right guys.

 

[RuffRuff]

Something something something, 3 guys on team USA, something something something, look at the all star roster, something something something, look at who’s most teams best players are.

It’s not a hard pitch lol. Especially when you’re talking to players who believe they can be that good.

And the funny thing is, the only reason he can speak to that is because he gets those kids in the first place. It’s not like he’s developing them. It’s a one year stop over and apparently one where he puts them through NBA etiquette school, how to hold your Crystale glass at the club.

It’s why the UK faithful ran him out of town. Really just a minor league system.

 

[UConnTrumbull]

NIL is a reality

Is this the opposite of a wink?

 

[Umami Zen]

Until or if the NCAA puts a ceiling on NIL budgets- The same programs after Top 25 kids will continue to show up on the recruiting trail. Kentucky-Kansas-Kansas St-Arkansas-Alabama-Auburn to name a few. As mentioned by @HooperScooper above- Very few top kids have committed to 2025 rosters so far.

With the success of winning back-to-back NCs and having a reputation for player development and NBA visibility as a Program-UConn is in play for many Top 25 2025 recruits. In years past we have recruited and developed Top 35-100 kids (exceptions Castle and McNeeley) who prioritize player development/coaching/winning. As a result of attracting and targeting higher level prospects- These kids have more people in their ears telling them what to do-Advisors-AAU coaches-"Agents"-Parents/family/friends. Waiting for rosters at their preferred choices to take shape before committing.

End result-Longer cycles on decisions. All Danny/staff can do is keep filling the pipeline with alternatives until their targets commit. Dan has also done pretty well in the portal so he can take his time for the right guys.

 

[Mooch82]

This was talked about in a recent podcast, and part of today’s NIL landscape. It makes no sense to commit early, even if you love one school. You test your market, hear your offers and see how it all lands. It’s part of why all these kids have lists of 8-12, including the blue bloods and NIL darlings (Arkansas).

The only risk if you’re a player, I suppose, is if your school of choice is entertaining multiple players of your position and someone else decides to step up and commit. With that as a staff, there is something to be said about wanting being wanted.

If Meleek goes Arkansas, god bless. I’m just not sure what Cal is offering these days other than $$ and classes around how to carry yourself once you go NBA. To be in a room to hear his pitch…….

I’m not overly worried with Meleek. We have insurance policies. If he’s as high on UConn as he sounds, and the analysts think, he’s coming. If not so be it, wasn’t meant to be.

Dauster was the one who said this...but in my opinion this is a short sighted mindset. There are certain schools/coaches that will be so much more valuable to these kids in terms of their long term career, where a couple hundred K difference shouldn't be the difference maker. If UConn offers you $500K and Kansas State offers you $750K - you really think it's worth it to go to Kansas State? Not to mention the fact that the longer you wait, the bigger chance your scholarship opening may be taken by someone else. Meleek has probably been trying to drive UConn's price up...but ultimately we may take 2 of 3 out of the Mullins/Lewis/Adams group and Meleek has lost his spot.

 

[awy]

game theoretically the one whom the program values most is the critical decision, having priority. but there's a trade-off with limited budget and so on. finding this point, telling people straight up and sticking to it is the best strategy.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

And the funny thing is, the only reason he can speak to that is because he gets those kids in the first place. It’s not like he’s developing them. It’s a one year stop over and apparently one where he puts them through NBA etiquette school, how to hold your Crystale glass at the club.

It’s why the UK faithful ran him out of town. Really just a minor league system.

If Castle blows up will we say we were responsible for developing him? Same with Liam?

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

I’m starting to wonder if kids these days use media to drive up their NIL price.

Visiting a national championship school before the real bag school in Arkansas and putting it out there you may commit would be a crazy leverage play.

If Arkansas doesn’t play, hey you can go to the best program in the country still. If they do they have to come with it. Along with any other school that comes in.

 

[JustbrewitMan]

Something something something, 3 guys on team USA, something something something, look at the all star roster, something something something, look at who’s most teams best players are.

It’s not a hard pitch lol. Especially when you’re talking to players who believe they can be that good.

Coach Cal: "Here at [fill in current school], we'll give you truckloads of money & also won't substantially hurt your prospects to be a high-level NBA player in the future...keep in mind that you're unlikely to make it past Round 1 of the NCAA tournament...but that's actually a blessing in disguise as you'll have more time to relax and thoughtfully prepare for the NBA draft!"

 

[JustbrewitMan]

Rumors swirling this is a wide open race now.

It's been well-known for awhile that he decided he wants to visit some other schools. So we'll see what transpires.

In the meantime, hilarious how people will develop agita over something like this posted by someone who has only posted 2 times before...both in 2022 about Providence-centric items.

 

[Mooch82]

It's been well-known for awhile that he decided he wants to visit some other schools. So we'll see what transpires.

In the meantime, hilarious how people will develop agita over something like this posted by someone who has only posted 2 times before...both in 2022 about Providence-centric items.

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Eh...there was a tweet from a pretty valid source. He didn't completely make up the smoke.

 

[husky99]

Is this the opposite of a wink?

Kind of. Heard for months it was a done deal. Now a wait and see.

 

[bjc42]

Trilly has been saying it’s wide open now fwiw