EXCLUSIVE: Meleek Thomas Explains Why He Chose Arkansas Over Pitt, UConn

PITTSBURGH — Pitt had been recruiting Meleek Thomas, the top prospect from the Steel City, for years.

However, the Panthers ultimately came up short, as Monday night, Thomas announced that he will play his collegiate basketball for John Calipari at Arkansas. Shortly after the commitment, Thomas caught up with reporters, including Pittsburgh Sports Now, to break down his commitment and explain why he chose the Razorbacks.

“Just the love they showed,” Thomas told Pittsburgh Sports Now. “Continuing through the whole process, they showed love to my family, not only to me, but also to my family. Play style. They’re just big on me, so I’m big on them.”

Thomas has had a tight-knit relationship with Calipari since his early high-school days at Lincoln Park.

“I’ve had that relationship with Coach Cal for years now,” Thomas said. “It’s always just progressed, it never went down. He just showed love and makes me feel like I should be at Arkansas.”

With the commitment, Arkansas now has the No. 2 recruiting class in the nation. Thomas joins fellow five-star guard Darius Acuff (No. 5 overall player) in the future Razorbacks’ back court.

“It’s going to be a special back court,” he continued. “I don’t think no back court in the country is going to really be able to go head to head with us. Every night, you got to tie your laces up. Me and Cheeks, Vs. any two guards, I like us.”

Thomas is the highest-ranked player to come out of Pittsburgh. The five-star prospect is ranked as the No. 7 player in the nation, per 247 Sports.

Thomas chose the Razorbacks and head coach John Calipari over local program Pitt and two-time reigning national champion UConn. Calipari has been recruiting Thomas for years, stopping in to see him numerous times while he was the coach at Kentucky and now since he has taken over at Arkansas.

The highly-touted guard won back-to-back WPIAL and PIAA titles last high-school season as a sophomore and junior at Lincoln Park, averaging 22.7 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. He was a significant Pitt target since early in his high school career and has been to numerous games over the past few seasons alongside former teammate and current Pitt guard Brandin Cummings.

However, in the end, Thomas decided to join Calipari and fellow five-star prospect Darius Acuff, who is a top-five player in the class and an Arkansas commit.

Pitt has one commitment in the 2025 class, and that is from Omari Witherspoon. He verbally committed to the Panthers after visiting during the offseason. He plays his high-school ball for St. John’s College High School in Washington, D.C. — the same high school that current Pitt Panther guard Ishmael Leggett played prep ball for.