NBA Comparison: Jordan Hawkins/Jordan Clarkson

Strengths: Thomas is one of the more electric offensive guards in the 2026 class, bringing instant offense ability and a true microwave scoring mentality that immediately jumps off the tape … A walking bucket with deep range and confidence as a shot maker, he averaged 15.6 points per game as a freshman while posting highly efficient shooting splits of 43.5% from the field, 41.6% from three, and 84.3% from the free throw line … Particularly dangerous as a spot-up shooter, where his quick release and deep range force defenses to extend well beyond the arc … Shot an Arkansas record 48.7% from three during SEC play, showing legitimate perimeter gravity and the ability to punish defenses for helping off him … Excels attacking closeouts, where his burst, shiftiness, and change of pace become highly effective weapons … Plays with a controlled chaos style, using speed and quick-twitch athleticism to create separation and pressure defenses downhill … Has a solid crossover and is capable of creating separation off the bounce, particularly when attacking mismatches or shifting defenders off balance … Very good body control in traffic and capable of generating offense quickly in broken floor situations or transition … Though viewed primarily as a scoring guard, Thomas flashed underrated combo guard ability and some lead guard traits throughout the season … Played some point guard in high school and shows encouraging passing instincts, averaging 2.5 assists against just 1.0 turnovers per game, an outstanding ratio for a freshman scoring guard and a strong indicator of his decision-making ability with the ball … Did an excellent job taking care of the basketball, rarely forcing unnecessary mistakes despite playing at a fast pace … Passes well in pick-and-roll situations, showing the ability to hit rollers, make simple reads, and keep defenses honest as a secondary creator … A very good lob passer who consistently showed touch and timing finding bigs above the rim … Makes solid reads off drives, can hit cutters, and has shown comfort operating in secondary creation situations … Competitive, focused player who consistently plays with pace, urgency, and purpose … Stays active defensively and possesses intriguing upside on that end due to his speed, anticipation, and quick hands, averaging 1.5 steals per game … Shows the ability to run shooters off screens and disrupt passing lanes … Tested better athletically than many expected at the 2026 NBA Draft Combine, posting a 38-inch max vertical that reinforced the explosiveness evident on film … Improved his body significantly over the past year, adding noticeable strength while appearing to grow physically, helping improve his ability to handle contact and absorb physicality … There is also a fair argument that Thomas may have sacrificed individual production playing alongside Darius Acuff in a secondary role, as his shot volume and creation opportunities likely would have expanded substantially elsewhere …

Weaknesses: While highly talented offensively, Thomas’ game still lacks polish and discipline in important areas … Can play at an overly frantic pace, occasionally looking like he is operating at 100 mph without fully processing the floor … At times resembles a player playing with a “chicken with its head cut off” mentality, rushing possessions and forcing offense unnecessarily … Shot selection remains inconsistent and is a notable concern, particularly when attacking inside the arc … Has a tendency to rush difficult attempts at the rim, settle for tough pull-ups, or take questionable shots early in possessions … Lacks a particularly reliable floater/runner game, which becomes noticeable when bigger defenders meet him in the paint … Can struggle at times finishing through length around the rim, occasionally forcing difficult attempts against rim protectors rather than adjusting or playing off two feet … Still carries traces of an AAU-style free-flow offensive approach, where structure and patience occasionally take a backseat to instinctive scoring … Arkansas’ up-tempo offensive system catered heavily to his strengths, raising some questions about how scalable his offensive efficiency becomes in more structured environments … There is legitimate debate regarding how much of his efficiency benefitted from sharing the floor with Acuff, who drew significant defensive attention and created cleaner scoring opportunities … One of the more situation-dependent players in the class, as his long-term development may heavily rely on landing in a strong environment capable of smoothing out the rough edges in his game … Decision-making still requires refinement, particularly as a creator and scorer in traffic … Can get out of control offensively when sped up, leading to unnecessary mistakes or difficult shot attempts … While extremely fast in straight-line situations and capable of playing at breakneck speed, his foot speed and lateral quickness can look somewhat suspect defensively in on-ball situations … Not always the most fluid or natural-moving athlete, occasionally showing slightly unorthodox movement patterns despite his explosiveness and speed … Defensively, while the tools are promising, he can be overly aggressive hunting steals, occasionally getting out of position or gambling unnecessarily … Still somewhat frail physically despite recent strength gains and will benefit from continued development in his core and overall frame … Measured 6’3” barefoot at the combine, making him slightly undersized for a traditional shooting guard role, though his solid 6’6.75” wingspan and 8’4” standing reach help alleviate some size concerns … Additional strength will be important in helping him better utilize his athleticism and absorb contact consistently at the NBA level …

Outlook: Thomas projects as a mid-to-late first-round prospect with intriguing long-term upside but one who may require patience and developmental seasoning early in his career … His combination of scoring instincts, shooting ability, speed, and athleticism gives him real offensive upside as an instant offense combo guard capable of changing games with scoring bursts … There are shades of Leandro Barbosa in the way he plays with pace, pressure, and offensive aggression, particularly in transition and attacking defenses before they are fully set … Encouraging flashes of combo guard playmaking ability add another dimension to his profile and raise optimism about his long-term versatility offensively … The biggest swing factor will be his discipline and decision-making, as slowing the game down and improving shot selection could dramatically raise his ceiling … Projects as the type of player who may benefit greatly from landing in a stable developmental system with strong veteran leadership and offensive structure … If he improves his polish and learns to better harness his speed and athleticism, Thomas has the talent to outperform his draft slot and emerge as a highly productive scoring guard at the NBA level …

Notes: Meleek Thomas measured 6′3.00” barefoot, 189.6 lbs, with a 6′6.75” wingspan and 8′4.00” standing reach at the 2026 NBA Draft Combine … Posted a 31.5-inch standing vertical and 38.0-inch max vertical, confirming strong explosiveness and above-average athletic ability … Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania … Played for Overtime Elite’s City Reapers before enrolling at Arkansas … Consensus five-star recruit and top-15 prospect in the 2025 recruiting class … McDonald’s All-American, Jordan Brand Classic, and Iverson Classic selection … Participated in the Chris Paul and Jayson Tatum Elite Camps in 2025 … Averaged 31.9 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 4.3 assists during his final season at Overtime Elite while shooting 38.1% from three … Helped form one of the nation’s most productive freshman duos alongside Darius Acuff at Arkansas … Earned SEC All-Freshman Team honors and First Team NABC All-Southeast District recognition in 2026 … 2025–26 Stats: 37 GP, 30.5 MPG, 15.6 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 43.5% FG, 41.6% 3PT, 84.3% FT … Led Arkansas in steals (57) and free throw percentage while ranking second on the team in scoring, assists, and three-point percentage … Posted multiple standout performances, including 30 points against Missouri, 29 points versus Ole Miss in the SEC Tournament, and 21 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists in an NCAA Tournament game against Hawai’i … One of the top scoring freshmen duos in Division I basketball since 2019–20 alongside Acuff … Son of Melissa and Malik Thomas.

Aran Smith 6/4/26

Strengths: 6’5 scoring guard … Solid length for position … Solid quickness … Provides scoring mentality and ability. Scores well in isolation and creates well for himself. Can score in bunches and doesn’t have to have a play ran for him. Crafty scorer around the rim, capable of making layups at various angles … Averaged a 3^rd best 22.6 points per game at the NBPA Top 100 in 2024 and a 2^nd best 26.9 points per game over Overtime Elite in 2024-25 … Good midrange pull-up and reliable floater … Good 3PT shooter with good form and a quick release. Hits big shots late in close games. Shoots well off the catch or an array of dribble moves to create a shot or step back. Gets shot off with little space from defender. Stays squared up when shooting on the move. 3PT shooting: 36.5% 3PT% 3.7 3PTA EYBL 2023, 34.8% 3PT% 5.8 3PTA NBPA Top 100 2023, 40.5 3PT% 8.6 3PTA OTE 2024-25 … Physical ball-handler. Draws fouls at a good rate and reliable free throw shooter. Shot 80.8% FT% at the NBPA Top 100 in 2024 and 81.4% FT% on 6.7 free throw attempts per game over Overtime Elite in 2024-25 … Good ball-handler. In addition to creating a shot, he can beat his defender, penetrating well and getting where he wants with his dribble … Good reads and passing ability. Avoids getting trapped when double-teams come. Assist to turnover: 2.2 APG/1.2 TOPG EYBL 2023, event best 7.3 APG/2.2 TOPG NBPA Top 100 2024, 4 APG/1.9 TOPG OTE 2024-25 … Very good rebounder, especially for position: 4.6 RPG EYBL 2023, 7.3 (2.2 ORPG) RPG NBPA Top 100 2024, 3^rd best 8.4 (2.1 ORPG) RPG OTE 2024-25 … Competes and anticipates well defensively. Good lateral speed, ball pressure, and active hands. Steal stats: 1.5 SPG EYBL 2023, 1.3 SPG NBPA Top 100 2023, 3^rd best 1.7 SPG NBPA Top 100 2024, 1.9 SPG OTE 2024-25 … Vocal on both ends. Consistently plays hard and with passion on both ends. Confident, aggressive, and a good competitor …

Weaknesses: Plays physical and has made noticeable improvement on his body over his senior year but can continue to get stronger … High-volume scorer but can be more efficient and work on getting easier shots. Averaged a 2^nd best 26.9 points per game on 44.5% FG% over Overtime Elite in 2024-25, taking 20.2 shots per game … Doesn’t have high-end explosive athleticism, which can hinder his value scoring at the next levels if he’s struggling finishing at the rim, especially with his identity as a scorer. Only recorded 4 dunks in his 25 games with Overtime Elite over the 2024-25 season …  Stops short at times shooting a reverse pivot contested fadeaway further away from the basket rather than getting to the rim. Scoring on contested pull-ups and step backs as often as he does, isn’t ideal moving forward …

Outlook: Arkansas freshman … Transferred to Overtime Elite for his senior year … MVP of the 2024 Pangos All-American Camp … 2025 McDonald’s All-American … Recorded 16 points and 4 assists in the 2025 Jordan Brand Classic … 2025 Naismith All-American Honorable Mention …

Evan Tomes 8/21/25

Strengths: 6’4 scoring guard … Solid length for position with a 6’5 wingspan … Solid quickness … Scorer’s mentality and ability while typically efficient. Scores well in isolation and creates well for himself. Can score in bunches and doesn’t have to have a play ran for him. Averaged 13.5 points per game on 48.9% FG% over the Nike EYBL in 2023 and a 3^rd best 22.6 points per game on 47.7% FG% at the NBPA Top 100 in 2024 … Good midrange pull-up and reliable floater … Good 3PT shooter with good form and a quick release. Shoots well off the dribble, including an array of dribble moves to create a shot or step back. Stays squared up when shooting on the move. Shot 36.5% 3PT% on 3.7 3PT attempts per game over the Nike EYBL and 34.8% 3PT% on 5.8 3PT attempts per game at the NBPA Top 100 in 2023 … Good free throw shooter. Shot 80.8% FT% at the NBPA Top 100 in 2024 … Good ball-handler. In addition to creating a shot, he can beat his defender and gets where he wants with his dribble … Good passing ability. Averaged 2.2 assists to 1.2 turnovers per game over the Nike EYBL in 2023 and an event best 7.3 assists to 2.2 turnovers per game at the NBPA Top 100 in 2024 … Solid rebounder for position. Averaged 4.6 rebounds per game over the Nike EYBL in 2023 and 7.3 (2.2 offensive) rebounds per game at the NBPA Top 100 in 2024 … Competes and anticipates well defensively. Good lateral speed and ball pressure. Steal stats: 1.5 SPG Nike EYBL 2023, 1.3 SPG NBPA Top 100 2023, 3^rd best 1.7 SPG NBPA Top 100 2024 … Consistently plays hard and with passion on both ends. Confident, aggressive, and a good competitor …

Weaknesses: Plays physical but has room to get stronger … Doesn’t have high-end explosive athleticism, which can hinder his value scoring at the next levels if he’s struggling finishing at the rim, especially with his identity as a scorer. Even now, he stops short at times shooting a reverse pivot contested fadeaway further away from the basket rather than getting to the rim … Despite his efficiency at this level, he can work on getting easier shots at the next levels. Scoring on contested pull-ups and step backs as often as he does, isn’t ideal moving forward. He can be quick with the 3PT trigger at times too …

Outlook: Arkansas commit … Transferred to Overtime Elite for his senior year … MVP of the 2024 Pangos All-American Camp …

Evan Tomes 11/19/24

Notes: Measured 6′ 3” barefoot, 170 lbs, and a 6′ 5.0” wingspan at the 2023 Nike Elite 100 …