Michigan Wolverines
Coach Juwan Howard has had some success with top prospects and ultimately getting them to the NBA. He did it with Moussa Diabate and Caleb Houstan in the year prior and could have two first-round draft picks next week in Kobe Bufkin and Jett Howard. And while the program has three ball-handlers committed to them in the future, none of them compare to Thomas on paper.
The biggest question here will be whether or not Coach Howard is at Michigan by the 2025-26 season. They missed the NCAA Tournament this past season and between reported NIL and admissions issues, might not see the Wolverines as a viable NCAA Basketball contender going forward. What happens with this program in the next year will determine if they’re in a position to truly contend for someone like Thomas.
Penn State Nittany Lions
The Nittany Lions are in the mix since they’re a “local” option and someone that Thomas has unofficially visited before. But they have a brand new head coach in Mike Rhoades and he runs a completely different system than Micah Shrewsberry, who is now at Notre Dame.
Will Thomas still have interest in a slower-paced offense that prioritizes defense? We’ll have to wait and see how that translates to the Big Ten and we’ll have a good case study with guard Ace Baldwin, who was the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year. If he succeeds and Penn State remains competitive, look for them to have a shot with Thomas.