2025 Recruiting: Meleek Thomas wants to visit UConn

[Mister P]

NBPA Top100 Camp: Ten Tuesday evening standouts

ORLANDO, FL -- The NBPA Top100 Camp is underway at ESPN Wide World of Sports with coaches and NBA scouts checking out more than one-hundred of the nation's best high school prospects. Here are ten standouts from Tuesday's evening session and what coaches watched:

247sports.com

Meleek Thomas, 2025, SG (MVP) - The NBPA Top100 Camp setting is tailor-made for some prospects and one of those is Meleek Thomas. Fresh off his announcement he will be playing at Overtime Elite next season, Thomas has been on a tear out on the court in Orlando. The five-star combo guard has been a major offensive weapon. We all know he is one of the best scorers in the country but he is tapping into his playmaking ability as well while also crashing the boards.

He continued to put the ball in the hole at scoring 33 points on 24 shots but the most impressive thing about his performance was dishing out ten-assists with just one turnover while adding ten rebounds. There have been few, if any, better at camp thus far.

 

[ucp990411]

Not sure what Overtime Elite is. I always thought it was a jump to professional basketball. Can someone explain?

 

[UConnSwag11]

 

[JesusAllen11]

I think he ends up top5 in his class. I think Dan gets him , which is impressive, because his game screams he would be running to Calipari normally. He looks good enough that either/or would be a good choice for him.

 

[husky429]

Not sure what Overtime Elite is. I always thought it was a jump to professional basketball. Can someone explain?

You may be thinking of the now-defunct g league ignite team.

Overtime elite is just a hs league with 6 (I think?) teams that have their own schedule against each other but also play other high level teams.

Think of it like a club/aau team that plays real high schools and has their own intra-program schedule.

 

[ucp990411]

You may be thinking of the now-defunct g league ignite team.

Overtime elite is just a hs league with 6 (I think?) teams that have their own schedule against each other but also play other high level teams.

Think of it like a club/aau team that plays real high schools and has their own intra-program schedule.

Thanks

 

[ucp990411]

You may be thinking of the now-defunct g league ignite team.

Overtime elite is just a hs league with 6 (I think?) teams that have their own schedule against each other but also play other high level teams.

Think of it like a club/aau team that plays real high schools and has their own intra-program schedule.

So are they actually high school students? Don’t they get paid?

 

[auror]

Not sure what Overtime Elite is. I always thought it was a jump to professional basketball. Can someone explain?

It used to be more like a G League Ignite type thing that was designed to be a paid alternative to college (and maybe prep school, since a few guys came for multiple years). But with NIL they've pivoted to be more focused on the prep school age range and allowing the kids to then go to college. It's more like a basketball academy (several teams that play a "league" and also against other prep schools) now than "pro basketball".

 

[HooperScooper]

4. Five-Star Plus+ SG Meleek Thomas​

Meleek Thomas is a known scorer, an electric bucket-getter who can self create for clean looks from every level on the floor. Where he shined here, for me, is as a primary initiator. In the pick and roll, Thomas displayed patience, feel, and touch. Things were not rushed when the ball was in his hands and he did not force things, manipulating the defense and finding the open play. Thomas started the day with 15 points and 7 assists and he ended the day with 33 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. Already a five-star player across the board, this passing and processing might have opened up some new archetype outcome possibilities.

NBPA Top 100 Camp: Day 2 Top Performers

On3’s Jamie Shaw discusses the top performers from day two of the 30th annual NBPA Top 100 Camp in Orlando, Florida.

www.on3.com

 

[HooperScooper]

So are they actually high school students? Don’t they get paid?

Like Dillingham, who spent this past season at the University of Kentucky, Thomas will preserve his college eligibility by signing a scholarship agreement with OTE that allows him to profit from Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities while in high school.

ESPN No. 7 prospect Thomas goes to Overtime Elite

Meleek Thomas, the No. 7 basketball prospect in ESPN's class of 2025, is leaving Lincoln Park Performing Arts High School in Pittsburgh to sign with Overtime Elite.

www.espn.com

 

[Son of Robert]

It used to be more like a G League Ignite type thing that was designed to be a paid alternative to college (and maybe prep school, since a few guys came for multiple years). But with NIL they've pivoted to be more focused on the prep school age range and allowing the kids to then go to college. It's more like a basketball academy (several teams that play a "league" and also against other prep schools) now than "pro basketball".

Kevin Ollie had something to do with it a couple of years ago.

 

[husky429]

So are they actually high school students? Don’t they get paid?

NIL money. It's basically one of those basketball powerhouse schools like Montverde except they have 6 teams.

 

[Umami Zen]

NIL money. It's basically one of those basketball powerhouse schools like Montverde except they have 6 teams.

In your opinion because I respect it. What kind of odds do you put on Meleek going to college next year vs GLeague/NBA after OTE?

 

[husky429]

In your opinion because I respect it. What kind of odds do you put on Meleek going to college next year vs GLeague after OTE?

There isn't a G-League team for kids who haven't been drafted anymore. I'm almost positive. NIL put a damper on that.

 

[HooperScooper]

There isn't a G-League team for kids who haven't been drafted anymore. I'm almost positive. NIL put a damper on that.

On the opening day of men's March Madness, the NBA announced that it is shutting down the G League Ignite at the conclusion of this season. The developmental program was founded in 2020 as an alternative path to the NBA for graduating high school seniors, and offered players paychecks and a chance to compete against professional competition.

G League Ignite shutting down: NBA cites NCAA's NIL policy as reason for ending developmental team

Bucks forward MarJon Beauchamp spoke about his experience with the G League Ignite after he learned the news

www.cbssports.com

 

[auror]

In your opinion because I respect it. What kind of odds do you put on Meleek going to college next year vs GLeague/NBA after OTE?

His options are basically go to college or play in australian NBL next stars program these days. He will get paid a lot more in college. Extremely likely he plays in college. Very good chance that college is UConn.

 

[Drame]

They play against all the top high school and prep teams

I don’t think they do. There are 8 OTE teams and they just play against themselves.

 

[navery12]

I don’t think they do. There are 8 OTE teams and they just play against themselves.

Maybe that changed as they added more teams, but I know at one point they were playing against Bryce James and the Boozer twins. They probably have enough teams now they don't need to though

 

[olehead]

I love the Laker boost. Hurley and team now have UConn regarded by recruits, others as a legitimate pathway to the Association. Our pitch is come here win a chip and go in the 1st round. Who else can say that?

 

[HuskyBoi]

Meleek Thomas

You are a UConn Husky

 

[HuskyCLT]

It's amazing how fast the Laker boost picked up, it's only been a couple days! I also can't state enough how impactful Steph Castle will be for recruiting guys like Meleek. Proving that he has top 5/10 draft stock while buying into our system and not needing to showcase himself at the expense of the team. Would love to have this guy!

 

[TheHorde]

It's amazing how fast the Laker boost picked up, it's only been a couple days! I also can't state enough how impactful Steph Castle will be for recruiting guys like Meleek. Proving that he has top 5/10 draft stock while buying into our system and not needing to showcase himself at the expense of the team. Would love to have this guy!

Clingan as well. He went from being roughly ranked the 50th best player in his class to being a top half of the lottery draft pick. That speaks to the development players get in this program.

 

[ctbro1999]

It's amazing how fast the Laker boost picked up, it's only been a couple days! I also can't state enough how impactful Steph Castle will be for recruiting guys like Meleek. Proving that he has top 5/10 draft stock while buying into our system and not needing to showcase himself at the expense of the team. Would love to have this guy!

I mean what Hurley has done to elevate himself (and the men's program) the last 2 months is the stuff of legends. Reject perhaps the most blue of the blue bloods (historically) and then follow that up by Dikembe'ing one of the most storied franchises in basketball period shortly after.

"I rejected Kentucky and the Lakers so I could recruit you to play for UConn". I mean how can you compete with that pitch? The back to back Nattys are almost an "oh, and btw". lol

 

[Waquoit]

I get the vibes that we're at the point where, when Hurley walks in the gym, everybody knows he's there. "That's him" say the whispers.

 

[Rico444]

4. Five-Star Plus+ SG Meleek Thomas​

Meleek Thomas is a known scorer, an electric bucket-getter who can self create for clean looks from every level on the floor. Where he shined here, for me, is as a primary initiator. In the pick and roll, Thomas displayed patience, feel, and touch. Things were not rushed when the ball was in his hands and he did not force things, manipulating the defense and finding the open play. Thomas started the day with 15 points and 7 assists and he ended the day with 33 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. Already a five-star player across the board, this passing and processing might have opened up some new archetype outcome possibilities.

NBPA Top 100 Camp: Day 2 Top Performers

On3’s Jamie Shaw discusses the top performers from day two of the 30th annual NBPA Top 100 Camp in Orlando, Florida.

www.on3.com

Not for nothing, but some of these prospect writers need to be more clear. What the heck is the bold sentence supposed to mean? I'm assuming there were multiple games and those were his totals in each, but what a weird way to phrase it.