Duke Basketball Battling Former Blue Devil for Premier Guard
The Duke basketball program added Lincoln Park (Pa.) sophomore Meleek Thomas to its 2025 target list on April 23. A few days later, the 6-foot-4, 170-pound five-star reported an offer from Kentucky. Other new suitors in his recruitment within the past month include Michigan, Xavier, UConn, and Tennessee.
Then late last week, Louisville became the latest player in the pursuit of Thomas, who sits No. 6 overall and No. 1 among point guards on the 247Sports 2025 Composite.
Considering Thomas is a versatile perimeter weapon, Cardinals assistant and busy recruiter Nolan Smith must be integral in their efforts to land him.
Of course, Smith was a 2010 national champ as a potent Duke basketball guard. He joined the Blue Devil staff as a special assistant in 2016, became director of basketball operations in 2018, and was promoted to a full-fledged assistant in 2021 before leaving for Louisville following Mike Krzyzewski's retirement last year.
Given Meleek Thomas grew up a Duke basketball fan (check out the tweeted video below), one might assume he watched a lot of Nolan Smith, not to mention Smith's 2010 backcourt co-star in current Blue Devil head coach Jon Scheyer. No, probably not. While 2010 may seem recent to some, Thomas was little more than a toddler.
Still, although Louisville finished dead last in the ACC last season and with a 4-28 overall record, the Cardinals are nothing to sneeze at on the recruiting trail. Head coach Kenny Payne and his crew reeled in two top-30 recruits in the 2023 cycle, plus three more graduating preps and a pair of notable transfers.
Furthermore, they're a contender for ex-Duke basketball signee Mackenzie Mgbako.
As it stands, Louisville's 2023 class ranks No. 3 in the country, below only Duke at No. 2 and Kentucky at No. 1. If the Cardinals were to add Mgbako, they would leapfrog the Blue Devils.
Meanwhile, Meleek Thomas is thus far the only top-10 recruit on the Cardinals' official 2025 wishlist. So it's safe to say he is a priority target for Louisville.
For now, it sounds like Thomas is far from deciding on a destination while just soaking up all the national interest, which will likely explode next month when college coaches can begin calling, texting, messaging, and emailing 2025 prospects.
"This process has been crazy," Thomas recently told 247Sports' Dushawn London, "especially with the period coming up when [recruiters] can actually talk to me directly...It's been hectic."
Scheyer and the Blue Devils may get a chance to host him for a visit in June, according to a tweet from Cerebro Sports' Andrew Slater last week.
Meleek Thomas is one of only four players in his class with a Duke basketball offer. The other three are five-star power forward Cameron Boozer, five-star combo forward Cooper Flagg, and four-star combo guard Cayden Boozer. Cameron Boozer and Cooper Flagg rank No. 1 and 2, respectively.
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Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country for more Duke basketball recruiting updates.