NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Analyzing top 5 teams for 3-star F Malcolm Thomas
Three-star NCAA Basketball prospect Malcolm Thomas has a decision to make this week. Which of the five contenders is the best option for him?
We have another “DMV” prospect in the 2024 NCAA Basketball recruiting class set to make a decision before the season starts. This time it’s Malcolm Thomas, a 6’8 power forward from Hyattsville, Maryland. He’s a solid two-way talent, listed as a consensus three-star prospect.
Thomas is reportedly set to announce his intentions on Thursday around 2:30 pm ET. He has five teams to choose from, all of whom are power conference programs. Does any of them stand out from a roster standpoint? Here’s a closer look at the potential fits.
Cal Bears
New coach Mark Madsen landed several transfers this offseason to help rebuild the roster into being an actual contender in the Pac-12. One position he didn’t address was power forward. The team lost Kuany Kuany to the transfer portal but still has ND Okafor and Grant Newell on the roster. We’ll see how they look under a new HC but there is a chance for Thomas to have a role here.
Florida State Seminoles
The Seminoles are a reported finalist for five-star forward prospect, Asa Newell. However, even if they aren’t able to get him, there’s still a potential logjam to deal with. Baba Miller does have pro potential and is a breakout candidate, while Cameron Corhen started for them after so many bigs suffered injuries. Plus, De’Ante Green is another top-100 former prospect that’s going to get minutes too.
Vanderbilt Commodores
Vandy does have a pair of guards commits in the 2024 class but needs to address the frontcourt as well. They do have Notre Dame transfer Ven-Allen Lubin in the frontcourt but there’s no depth besides him. It’s an opportunity for Thomas to get some good minutes early on here.
Villanova Wildcats
The Wildcats recently landed four-star combo forward Matthew Hodge, a 6’8 versatile prospect. They still could use some more depth in the frontcourt, especially if Eric Dixon decides to leave after this season. They’re also after four-star forward Josiah Moseley, who is deciding this week too. Likely the team will only take one of them.
Xavier Musketeers
Frontcourt depth is now in the spotlight for the Musketeers, who are currently without Jerome Hunter and Zach Freemantle, both of whom are already in their last years of eligibility. Outside of them are veteran transfers (Abou Ousmane and Logan Duncomb), as well as unproven freshmen.
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Xavier is definitely an option that has upside, though any of the freshmen forwards breaking out could make things complicated. The Big East schools do stand out when it comes to potential early playing at the moment, along with Cal. But will they be the final choice?