2025 Recruiting: UConn Offers Meleek Thomas

[Hey Adrien!]

The 6'3 165 Thomas is currently ranked the #6 overall prospect and #1 PG of '25, according to 247's composite. Pittsburgh area kid.

 

[REB1094]

Any idea if we offered just to offer or if there’s genuine interest? Or too early to tell?

 

[Huskyforlife]

I guess I don’t blame Dan for trying. But I wonder how many tries it’ll take before we land a top 10 prospect at the time of his commitment (Castle does not count). Gotta give him credit for not being discouraged.

 

[AtlantaHusky]

I was just near EYBL in Cartersville GA. Man that facility is amazing. My buddy (UConn's) son is in a baseball tourney. I should have went in for hoops!

 

[AntG168]

I guess I don’t blame Dan for trying. But I wonder how many tries it’ll take before we land a top 10 prospect at the time of his commitment (Castle does not count). Gotta give him credit for not being discouraged.

He hasn’t gone after these guys armed with a Natty. Also we seem to be in good with Betsy whose a top guy. We land one

 

[FfldCntyFan]

4. Five-star SG Meleek Thomas – NH LIghtning 17u​

Meleek Thomas plays with a certain amount of electricity that is both exciting and productive. He is a very good point-of-attack defender, using his quick feet and hands to disrupt the point of attack. But he is also a fearless scorer.


He is No. 3 in the 2025 On3 75. Danny Hurley from UConn was courtside. So were assistants from Kentucky and North Carolina.

Nike EYBL Session 1 top performers: Day 1

April 22, 2023 - On3's Jamie Shaw was baseline for Session 1 of the 2023 Nike EYBL Circuit. Here were the day's top performers.

www.on3.com

When decision time arrives I hope this kid remembers that a weeks after winning the title our head coach was there while Kentucky & UNC sent assistants.

 

[storrsroars]

I see Pitt's in on him. They're desperate to get some homegrown kids. Right now Pitt doesn't have much of an NIL game, so it'll be interesting to see how/if they can compete for this kid.

 

[HooperScooper]

When decision time arrives I hope this kid remembers that a weeks after winning the title our head coach was there while Kentucky & UNC sent assistants.

3:57 p.m. ET: Kentucky head coach John Calipari, Duke head coach Jon Scheyer and Duke assistant Jai Lucas are watching 2025 five-star shooting guard Meleek Thomas and 2025 four-star power forward Caleb Wilson. — Jamie Shaw, National Basketball Recruiting Analyst

EYBL Session 1 Coaches Watch Live Blog

Some of the nation's top recruits are at EYBL Session 1 in Atlanta where dozens of college coaches will be scouting their targets.

www.on3.com

 

[Waquoit]

I guess I don’t blame Dan for trying. But I wonder how many tries it’ll take before we land a top 10 prospect at the time of his commitment (Castle does not count). Gotta give him credit for not being discouraged.

Why does Castle not count?

 

[TheHorde]

3:57 p.m. ET: Kentucky head coach John Calipari, Duke head coach Jon Scheyer and Duke assistant Jai Lucas are watching 2025 five-star shooting guard Meleek Thomas and 2025 four-star power forward Caleb Wilson. — Jamie Shaw, National Basketball Recruiting Analyst

EYBL Session 1 Coaches Watch Live Blog

Some of the nation's top recruits are at EYBL Session 1 in Atlanta where dozens of college coaches will be scouting their targets.

www.on3.com

Scheyer<Coach K and it’s not in the same stratosphere

 

[husky429]

I guess I don’t blame Dan for trying. But I wonder how many tries it’ll take before we land a top 10 prospect at the time of his commitment (Castle does not count). Gotta give him credit for not being discouraged.

We aren't offering this kid or any other top-5 player because we think there's a great chance of landing them. It's as much about building relationships with programs than it is about landing the top-5 player.

For example, Diakite a 4* power forward that plays in CT also is on the NH Lightning team. We aren't wasting resources by offering this kid, because we can also have coaches watch a more realistic prospect for us.

 

[NH Husky]

I said this in another thread. Hurley recruits like Calhoun did. He recognizes the need to support his system and recruits to it. Doesn’t pay attention to rankings by irrelevant services.
We had the most complete team in the NCAA last year.
Let the squid be lazy and recruit to rankings. Getting them far huh.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

3:57 p.m. ET: Kentucky head coach John Calipari, Duke head coach Jon Scheyer and Duke assistant Jai Lucas are watching 2025 five-star shooting guard Meleek Thomas and 2025 four-star power forward Caleb Wilson. — Jamie Shaw, National Basketball Recruiting Analyst

EYBL Session 1 Coaches Watch Live Blog

Some of the nation's top recruits are at EYBL Session 1 in Atlanta where dozens of college coaches will be scouting their targets.

www.on3.com

Took them long enough to give the kid a little attention.

Too little, too late.....

 

[gtcam]

Scheyer<Coach K and it’s not in the same stratosphere

his 2022-23 recruiting class was very impressive

 

[ibleedhuskyblue]

Why does Castle not count?

He was rated somewhere in the 30's at the time of his commitment. He played himself into the top 10 as the season went on.

 

[TheHorde]

his 2022-23 recruiting class was very impressive

And they did what with that in the postseason and even the regular season? Give me all the 4 star type players that want to stay 2-3 years, win, and then go pro after leaving a legacy. UK and Dook can have all of the one and dones they want and not survive the first weekend of the tournament. Good trade I think.

 

[ibleedhuskyblue]

And they did what with that in the postseason and even the regular season? Give me all the 4 star type players that want to stay 2-3 years, win, and then go pro after leaving a legacy. UK and Dook can have all of the one and dones they want and not survive the first weekend of the tournament. Good trade I think.

I agree with this. Now sure, if DH thinks a 5 star is the right guy after seeing our practice, and meeting the team, then absolutely, we'd be nuts to turn him away.

But we've had the best 25 years of any program by bringing in guys ranked between 30-150, having them for 2-3 years, and sending them on to the NBA. Obviously now we will mix in transfers that fit as well. Our preseason rankings won't be as high, but that didn't seem to matter this past year.

DH and staff have shown they know what they're doing. If they think a guy is the right guy, no matter the ranking, 2 or 200, then he's likely the right guy. There will surely be mistakes, and guys who don't work out for one reason or another, but all we're trying to do is make sure we have 7-8 every year that get the job done.

 

[dogpause]

I think some here are selling Hurley short when it comes to recruiting. He's shown that his intent has been to improve the level of talent, and he's achieved it. Two years ago we were fielding a lineup of mostly Mid-Major talent. Now we have a Top 5 class coming in and he's trying to go up another rung on the ladder by pitching top recruits. And I expect he going to start landing them.

 

[TheHorde]

Hurley is like Calhoun in that he can identify rising talent early, and then have them get better still at UConn. Jayden Ross is one of the latest examples.

 

[caw]

Hurley is like Calhoun in that he can identify rising talent early, and then have them get better still at UConn. Jayden Ross is one of the latest examples.

He has been great at identifying and coaching up wing talent and post talent from high school. PG has been another story so far, though Castle does seem to be the one to buck the trend.



PG:
Brendan Adams #175 - Transferred down but did graduate from UConn
Jalen Gaffney #105 - Transferred down but did play in a final four for new team
Rasool Diggins #59 - Transferred down

It's been his biggest flaw in recruiting so far.

 

[husky429]

Hurley is like Calhoun in that he can identify rising talent early, and then have them get better still at UConn. Jayden Ross is one of the latest examples.

That was all Luke Murray.

 

[Leebo]

Any idea if we offered just to offer or if there’s genuine interest? Or too early to tell?

What does "offer just to offer" even mean? I mean, I get that the staff's level of interest can be on a scale, but I would hope that the bottom end of that scale is higher than just "throwing out an offer just because it's possible to."

 

[ctchamps]

He has been great at identifying and coaching up wing talent and post talent from high school. PG has been another story so far, though Castle does seem to be the one to buck the trend.

Bouknight?

 

[aburks41]

Bouknight?

The last time Bouk ever played PG was probably in middle school lol

 

[TheHorde]

Give Hurley and the staff credit for pivoting when necessary. The identity they look for in a player is toughness, defense, and athleticism. But they realized the team ceiling is lower without shooting. Clingan is huge because he can make up for any potential defensive shortcomings with guys either taking chances on a steal or being beaten off the dribble.