Meleek Thomas, the No. 7 basketball prospect in ESPN's class of 2025, will leave Lincoln Park Performing Arts High School in Pittsburgh to sign with Overtime Elite, he told ESPN on Tuesday.
“I did everything I needed to do back home,” Thomas said. “We won back-to-back state championships. Now is the time to be seen by NBA personnel, general managers, scouts, the people you need to be in front of. At OTE they get your name out there. Everything they do revolves around around the world. I want more to be transmitted to me.
Thomas is the highest-rated recruit to join OTE so far this offseason. He is in the midst of a strong spring, averaging 20.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 27 minutes per game for New Heights Lightning in the Nike EYBL. Thomas, a 6-foot-4 combo guard who plays with aggression and tenacity on both ends of the floor, can put the ball in the basket in a variety of ways from anywhere on the floor.
He joins five-star recruits Bryson Tiller, Mikel Brown, Akai Fleming and Lincoln Cosby in Atlanta's upstart league, as well as four-star recruits Tyler Jackson, Adam Oumiddoch and Amari Evans. The league will announce more signings in July for its fourth season of competition, which will once again feature eight teams from across the country.
“Being a professional constantly is something I want to do,” Thomas said. “Getting in the weight room and facing the best players daily with a fast-paced style of play will help me develop a winning mentality against the best. Everything I'm doing now will be multiplied by 10. No one in the world will .stop me.”
Founded in 2021, OTE sent twins Amen and Ausar Thompson to the NBA as top-five draft picks last year and will add several alumni to that list in June, including potential No. 1 pick Alex Sarr, the projected pick top 10 Rob Dillingham and more. .
Like Dillingham, who spent last season at the University of Kentucky, Thomas will preserve his college eligibility by signing a scholarship agreement with OTE that will allow him to take advantage of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) opportunities while in high school. .
Thomas said he will take official visits to UConn and Arkansas later this month. Kansas, Auburn, Pitt, Alabama, Kansas State, Indiana, Tennessee, Miami and others are also heavily recruiting him.
After scheduling his official visit to UConn starting next week (June 19), Thomas said he was initially caught off guard by the news that Dan Hurley was being pursued to be the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, according to Adrian Wojnarowski from ESPN.
“I wasn't expecting that; it just showed up,” Thomas said. “He ended up turning it down, which must mean something. That definitely makes UConn more attractive now. With all the money they offered him, he's still committed to the school he built. Being highly recruited by him means they mean business. That's it the message I received.”
Jonathan Givony is an NBA draft expert and founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analysis service used by the NBA, NCAA and international teams.
