San Francisco's Malik Thomas enters transfer portal

The West Coast Conference's leading scorer this past season is in the portal

San Francisco Dons guard Malik Thomas (1). | Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

San Francisco Dons star Malik Thomas is entering the transfer portal as a graduate transfer, according to reports.

Thomas, a 6-foot-4, 205-pound guard, led the West Coast Conference in scoring this past season with 19.9 points per game while shooting 44.4% from the field and 39.4% from 3-point range. He also chipped in 3.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.6 steals in 31.8 minutes per game as a senior with the Dons (25-10, 13-5 WCC), which earned him All-WCC first team honors.

Prior to joining Chris Gerlufsen and company in San Francisco, Thomas played the first two seasons of his college basketball career with the USC Trojans. He only played nine games his freshman season in 2021-22 and logged a combined 18 minutes in those appearances, then played 8.1 minutes per game as a sophomore before he transferred to San Francisco that spring. Over his last two seasons in the Bay Area, Thomas appeared in 67 games, including 55 starts, and averaged more than 27 minutes per game.

While current NCAA eligibility rules allow student-athletes five years to compete athletically in four seasons, Thomas will enter the portal as a graduate transfer, which refers to student-athletes who graduated from their previous university with a bachelor’s degree and have athletic eligibility remaining. Fifth-years can also be granted for season-ending injuries or other issues that may have prevented the player from completing a full season.

A sturdy guard with a smooth shot and feel for the game, Thomas will likely garner interest from power conference programs across the country. He finished with 20 or more points in exactly half the games he played in 2024-25 (17) and crossed the 30-point threshold four times, including a 36-point outburst in his final game wearing a Dons uniform, which was a 77-76 loss to the Loyola Chicago Ramblers in the second round of the NIT on March 23.

San Francisco Dons guard Malik Thomas (1). | Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

Thomas also scored 25 points in San Francisco's 88-77 loss to the Gonzaga Bulldogs on Feb. 13. After being held to 13 against the Zags at the Chase Center, he dropped 27 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals in the third meeting at the WCC Tournament in Las Vegas. Despite Thomas' efforts, Gonzaga prevailed 85-76.

Many programs are opting to hold off on on-campus visits with the Final Four looming, though the transfer portal is expected to heat up in the days leading up to the House v. NCAA settlement hearing set for Monday. If approved, the settlement will usher in a new revenue-sharing framework that will permit schools to distribute payments and benefits to student-athletes, in addition to existing scholarships and other benefits currently permitted by the NCAA.

With Thomas in the portal, there are just three players from last season's All-WCC first and second teams who still have eligibility in 2025-26 and haven't entered the transfer portal this offseason: Gonzaga's Graham Ike, Pacific Tigers guard Lamar Washington and Saint Mary's Gaels forward Paulius Murauskas. From the All-WCC freshman team, San Francisco's Tyrone Riley IV and Portland Pilots forward Austin Rapp, the league's freshman of the year, are currently in the portal.