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Meleek Thomas Proves Calipari Right With 35-Point Outburst vs Heat

Former UA guard already putting the league on notice with another hot shooting night
Samuel Stubbs|
Arkansas coach John Calipari works with guard Meleek Thomas (1) during the second half of a SEC tournament semifinal game against Mississippi at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, March 14, 2026.
Arkansas coach John Calipari works with guard Meleek Thomas (1) during the second half of a SEC tournament semifinal game against Mississippi at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, March 14, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

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Arkansas Razorbacks

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — John Calipari said Sunday that NBA teams would regret passing on former Arkansas guard Meleek Thomas in the 2026 NBA Draft.

He was proved right in a big way on Monday by the 19-year-old who was selected 34th overall.

In a 90-73 victory for his Cavaliers over the Miami Heat, Thomas scored a whopping 35 points in his third NBA Summer League game.

Thomas shot 14-23 (61 percent) from the field and 5-9 (56 percent) from beyond the arc in Cleveland's first Summer League win and was the star of the show from the get-go, scoring 21 points in the first half and 33 over the first three quarters of action.

In addition to his scoring outburst, Thomas added three rebounds, three assists two steals and a block, while fellow former Razorback Jaxson Robinson contributed 13 points of his own.

It wasn't a surprise to see Thomas, who scored 20 points in his Summer League debut and 27 on Sunday, score the basketball. But it was somewhat of a surprise to see him eclipse 30 points and do so in an efficient manner, which wasn't necessarily the case on Sunday when he shot just 10-24 from the field.

Thomas' effort was the second-highest scoring performance for a Cleveland player in Summer League history, though he was more focused on getting his first NBA win than the stat sheet.

"We went 0-2 the first [two] games," Thomas said post-game. "I'm big about winning, so I just wanted to solidify the win. I want to keep solidifying wins. It's not about the points. I'm a team-oriented player. If I make others look better, I look amazing myself."

In another interview, Thomas did allow himself some self-praise.

"I'm gifted offensively," Thomas said, per Spencer Davies. "It's kind of hard to stop me when I get going. I would just say I'm taking what the defense is giving me and just playing my game. Things are opening up from there."

For a Cleveland team that already has talented guards in Donovan Mitchell and James Harden — along with the potential addition of some guy named LeBron James — Thomas' offensive abilities should allow the Cavaliers to be one of the more potent offensive teams in the NBA this season.

Through three Summer League games, Thomas is also proving that he could very well be in the running for NBA Rookie of the Year alongside Kings guard and former UA teammate Darius Acuff Jr.

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Samuel Stubbs
SAMUEL STUBBS

Sam Stubbs is a student at the University of Arkansas pursuing a degree in journalism. He has worked at the UA’s student newspaper, the Arkansas Traveler, since October 2025, becoming the assistant sports editor in December 2025. When he's not writing about the Razorbacks, Sam can be found covering NASCAR for Yardbarker and is a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA), winning an award for race coverage from the association in February 2025. He's previously worked for Heavy, Field Level Media, Frontstretch and FanSided.

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