Duke basketball assistant visits five-star point guard

Meleek Thomas wanted Duke basketball's attention, and now he is getting it.

Matt Giles | Oct 19, 2022

Duke basketball assistant visits five-star point guard /

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According to a tweet from The Circuit's Alex Karamanos, first-year Duke basketball assistant coach Jai Lucas spent part of his Wednesday visiting Lincoln Park (Pa.) point guard Meleek Thomas.

That makes sense, given the 6-foot-3, 170-pound five-star recently referred to Duke as his "dream school" during a chat with Rivals' Krysten Peek. Furthermore, he recently told Pro Insight's Andrew Slater that he's been hoping to hear from Duke, Kentucky, and UNC in particular.

While Thomas is not one of the three in the 2025 class holding an early offer from the Blue Devils — they are four-star combo guard Cayden Boozer, five-star small forward Cooper Flagg, and five-star power forward Cameron Boozer — it wouldn't be a surprise to see him join that list shortly.

Thomas ranks No. 7 overall and No. 1 at his position on 247Sports' ranking of current high school sophomores. And likely at least partly due to his confident playmaking at the USA Basketball Junior National Team minicamp in Colorado earlier this month, he's been getting visits this week from many high-major programs.

Kentucky head coach John Calipari was at Thomas' school on Monday. And in addition to Lucas from Duke, an assistant coach from Indiana — one of the most recent schools to extend him an offer — was there on Wednesday.

As it stands, Meleek Thomas' offer sheet consists of Bryant, Indiana, Kansas State, Missouri, Pittsburgh, and St. John's.

Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country for more Duke basketball recruiting updates.

Published Oct 19, 2022

MATT GILES

Matt Giles is the editor and publisher of Duke Blue Devils on SI, North Carolina Tar Heels on SI, and NC State Wolfpack on SI, making him a key source for comprehensive coverage of these storied college basketball programs. Since joining SI in 2022, Matt has been dedicated to providing in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive content on all three teams. He covers everything from game previews and recaps to player profiles and recruiting updates. Matt's expert knowledge of these teams has made his work a go-to resource for fans and followers of Duke, NC State, and UNC. As publisher, he shapes the editorial direction, ensuring that the most relevant and timely information reaches his audience.