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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – While much of the pre-draft attention surrounding Arkansas basketball has centered on projected lottery pick Darius Acuff, Razorbacks coach John Calipari believes former guard Meleek Thomas could end up being one of the steals of the first round.
Calipari took to X on Saturday to make sure Thomas along with Trevon Brazile received their flowers as pro prospects.
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While Brazile is said to have “all the intangibles” the NBA wants in a 6-foot-10 stretch forward, Meleek Thomas is said to have “otherworldy confidence” which allows him to play at a different level.
Although Calipari didn’t mention that specifically in the clip below, he praises multiple parts Thomas’ game and how his future excites him as he develops in the NBA.
“I think [Meleek Thomas] will be [selected] a little bit lower than people think,” Calipari said in a video posted on X June 20. “He’s an unbelievable shot maker, basket maker in all kinds of different ways.”
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Being tha tkind of big time shot maker and taker is what helped him become a great Robin to Darius Acuff’s Batman due to his willingness to not just blend in, but take over when needed. His biggest moment of the year happened to come in the only game Acuff sat out of to recover from an ankle injury in the season finale at Missouri.
In that game, Thomas scored a career-high 30 points against the Tigers while drilling 10-of-23 shot attempts from the field, including a 5-of-6 clip from three in a thrilling 88-84 overtime victory.
Once the calendar flipped to March, Thomas was almost a completely different player averaging 18 points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals per game over the final eight games of the season.
Arkansas Razorbacks guard Meleek Thomas (1) drives against Missouri Tigers guard Jayden Stone (17) during the first half at Bud Walton Arena. | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images
Before he ever made it on campus at Arkansas, Thomas was a talker on the court by playing a psychological game with his…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/john-calipari-says-nba-teams-172207299.html
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Publish date : 2026-06-22 17:22:00
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