2025 Recruiting: Meleek Thomas Watch

[REB1094]

I know this is the part of the cycle where we tend to cope by talking about how he’s not actually that good or how he’s not the right fit or how he’s just a bag chaser, but I still REALLY like Meleek Thomas as a player and I think it’s a very mutually beneficial decision for him to come here

If Hurley went after him so hard, he’s most likely a very high character young man and that won’t change regardless of what happens in the next couple months

I’ll wait until his commitment before saying anything else

 

[AntG168]

I know this is the part of the cycle where we tend to cope by talking about how he’s not actually that good or how he’s not the right fit or how he’s just a bag chaser, but I still REALLY like Meleek Thomas as a player and I think it’s a very mutually beneficial decision for him to come here

If Hurley went after him so hard, he’s most likely a very high character young man and that won’t change regardless of what happens in the next couple months

I’ll wait until his commitment before saying anything else

I don’t see anybody really doing that. We just have other options

 

[IndyLives]

This is a big blow to our four-peat chances.

 

[Iluvsuebird]

Common sense tells me that he would have announced already if this was a 'fate acompli' that he is coming to us. He is still shopping his services. That's his right. And if Danny and staff go elsewhere because of it, well that is their right too. Fact is that we won a title in '23 with no 5 stars, and last year's title run consisted of a single 5 star player. My point is that we have the best coaching staff in the country, a staff that consistently improves their own players. Relax friends. Enjoy this sweet ride, because next year we can do a whole lot worse than Solo, Aidan and Nowell in our backcourt.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

I don't know why it's framed as "shopping his services." He's been pretty clear about taking other visits.

 

[goskis2018]

Then use a different arbitrary number that floats your boat. The point is these kids were getting paid before NIL, the only difference is now the numbers are public

Not true, they are clearly getting paid much, much more which was a predictable outcome from bringing paying college players in the dark into the light.

They should’ve doubled down on enforcing the amateur nature of college athletics while eliminating restriction on athletes going pro whenever they please. This modern system is already a farce and this is just the beginning of its spiral out of control.

 

[FearThePups]

The genie’s been let out of the bottle. NIL isn’t going away but there should be a max cap limit amount per year for every Division 1 program. The trick is how do you monitor this and enforce compliance.

 

[awy]

haven't read the nil lawsuit at all but a cap will probably get challenged. the pro sports can have a cap because of a collective bargaining agreement.

 

[FlippinCrazy!]

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

He’s taken official visits to auburn and Pitt too

 

[husky429]

NIL is currently the wild west. In 10 years, we'll look back and be horrified with what is happening.

My belief: performance bonuses are going to be the ticket. Lot of donors are going to get really sick of shelling out for some freshman who sucks.

 

[HooperScooper]

NIL is currently the wild west. In 10 years, we'll look back and be horrified with what is happening.

My belief: performance bonuses are going to be the ticket. Lot of donors are going to get really sick of shelling out for some freshman who sucks.

That would become a coach's worst nightmare to manage. I think Hurley would go back to St. Benedict's and drive the "cheese bus" before he deals with that.

 

[awy]

the other big issue is transfer portal and NIL, because guys who leave for the portal are kind of freeriding on the development work programs put into them. if schools are going to pay players there'll be effort to get a sell-on fee or some such structure where the original program reaps some percentage of transfer portal profit.

 

[bendm]

That would become a coach's worst nightmare to manage. I think Hurley would go back to St. Benedict's and drive the "cheese bus" before he deals with that.

For sure. Players wouldn’t be content to just cash their checks and sit on the bench they’d constantly be complaining about their PT if they were being paid based on performance

 

[AllHusky]

NIL is currently the wild west. In 10 years, we'll look back and be horrified with what is happening.

My belief: performance bonuses are going to be the ticket. Lot of donors are going to get really sick of shelling out for some freshman who sucks.

Who says we aren't horrified now?

I'm curious as to what the conversations are like with the donors justifying giving $$$ for the aforementioned frosh who ends up taking the pipe. Gotta think part of it is, "we will move him along if your investment isn't panning out". I'm curious about who says what to whom during the $$$ solicitation and post investment evaluation.

 

[FlippinCrazy!]

NIL is currently the wild west. In 10 years, we'll look back and be horrified with what is happening.

My belief: performance bonuses are going to be the ticket. Lot of donors are going to get really sick of shelling out for some freshman who sucks.

I think it should be based on experience. Say freshman get 500k max, sophomore 1m max etc. Then extra incentive for staying at the school each year (with the bonus also escalating for each year you’ve been at the school).

 

[UConnTrumbull]

Bonuses should be for winning, not points or rebounds!

 

[uconnbill]

So brave.

Stating a fact that i want him as a husky but what can you do with the new NIL going on a big dollars being tossed out there

 

[GoConn]

I want this kid obv but whatever happens, faith in Hurley always.

 

[RuffRuff]

The point of the number is that the higher the numbers the bigger the difference between what schools offer. Before we were probably talking illegal offers in the low hundreds of thousands. So maybe the difference between 1 school or another was $50,000 or $100,000. Maybe enough of an incentive but not a huge deal.

Now with $2 million and $3 million offers the difference between one school and another could be $1 million to $2 million. That's a much bigger incentive to pick a school. Especially a kid from a low income family that's never had much in his life. Hurley can point to development, getting drafted higher, getting bigger contracts in the NBA, etc., but to a 17 or 18 year old that's a lot of money right in front of you with no risk. I really don't blame any of these kids for taking these higher offers.

How much do you think UConn is offering high school recruits and transfers? I doubt UConn is matching the NIL money that places like Arkansas are offering. And I'm not sure I even want UConn throwing around that kind of money to an 18 year old. Let Hurley get the kids with the attitude and work ethic that he wants without having to match the NIL money some of these schools offer. It has seemed to work so far. We'll see if that can continue.

 

[IndyLives]

Danny needs to start building those direct relationships with some Big Donors. Recruiting will depend on it.

 

[RuffRuff]

 

[auror]

To summarize:

Finkelstein thinks we take 3 HS guys. 2 perimeter oriented players (1 guard and a wing or 2 guards) and 1 big.

Perimeter players (pick 2)
Meleek Thomas - In good shape
Braylon Mullins - In good shape, perhaps first to commit between Meleek and Braylon.
Brayden Burries
Darius Adams
Acaden Lewis
--
(Also in the mix)
Tounde Yessoufou
Hudson Greer (maybe)
Dwayne Aristode (maybe)

Bigs
Niko Bundalo - Coming on OV, but tough competition
Eric Reibe
Nate Ament

 

[ted920]

Pardon me if I am misinformed. However, thinking Acaden Lewis is a replacement for Meleek Thomas is faulty thinking as Acaden Lewis is a PG while Thomas is a 2G. The Indiana sharpshooter who recently visited Storrs is a more fitting comparison/ replacement for Thomas. Additionally the Lewis kid out of Jersey and prepping at La Lumierre in IN is also another 2G replacement for Thomas.

If I am misinformed, please correct me.

 

[awy]

they have multiple guys handling the ball. it's whatever. meleek's transition to uconn system is more theoretical than mullins/lewis, but meleek has a pro level bag of moves and it'll be interesting to see what they do with him. just from a pure curiosity pov he brings something new.

 

[navery12]

Pardon me if I am misinformed. However, thinking Acaden Lewis is a replacement for Meleek Thomas is faulty thinking as Acaden Lewis is a PG while Thomas is a 2G. The Indiana sharpshooter who recently visited Storrs is a more fitting comparison/ replacement for Thomas. Additionally the Lewis kid out of Jersey and prepping at La Lumierre in IN is also another 2G replacement for Thomas.

If I am misinformed, please correct me.

It's not a 1 for 1 in the sense that any are similar players, it's in terms of minutes that are available. There's just not room for Lewis, Thomas and Mullins when we already have 4 guards/smaller wings likely to return with Nowell, Ball, Mahaney, and Ross. 2 is the max to realistically expect there