Breaking down Malcolm Thomas' commitment to Villanova
October 5, 2023 by Colby Giacubeno
THE LEAD
2024 DeMatha and Team Durant forward Malcolm Thomas announced his commitment to Villanova and head coach Kyle Neptune this afternoon. The 6-foot-8 southpaw chose the Wildcats over the likes of Cal, Florida State, Vandy and Xavier.
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BACKGROUND
Thomas’ stock took a leap after his steady production against other top-tier bigs in the DMV during the June scholastic live period. His two-way impact was on full display as a rim-protector against bigger matchups with his springy athleticism and shot-blocking prowess especially when rotating from the weak side. Even prior to this summer, Thomas hinted at an overall improved skill set after being named second team All-WCAC. His father, Etan Thomas, was a nine-year NBA veteran. He registered seven of those seasons with the Washington Wizards before playing his final two with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Atlanta Hawks. Needless to say, there is still plenty of untapped potential with Malcolm.
SOUND BITE
“I can see myself thriving in their system and style of play. I built a strong connection with the coaches and I think this is somewhere I will grow on and off the court. I love their focus on hard work and tenacity so I’m looking forward to being a part of this special environment.
I’m going in with the mind frame that I am joining a culture of hard workers and make sure I bring that in particular to the table. The coaches view me as someone versatile on the court both offensively and defensively and that I have the ability to do multiple things on the court so whatever the coaches need, I will be ready to provide. And I’ll continue working to add even more to my repertoire. So that’s what I will bring to the table. Looking forward to it.”
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
Villanova has made headlines twice in as many weeks as they build a stout 2024 recruiting class. Matthew Hodge and Thomas may not be the last to pledge their services to head coach Kyle Neptune either. In Hodge, they land a versatile combo forward ranked No. 57 overall player in the 2024 MADE Hoops rankings in Hodge and now they add yet another versatile piece to their frontcourt in Thomas who could develop into more of a combo forward with further polish of his perimeter skills. Similar to Hodge, Thomas brings several intangibles to the floor that should translate right away at the college level. At the moment they don’t look to be knocking on the door of any guards in the 2024 class. That could change, but having Hodge and Thomas as foundational blocks make for much brighter skies than they appeared a month ago for Villanova fans.
Now the focus turns to locking in the No. 106 ranked prospect in the 2024 MADE Hoops rankings in Josiah Moseley.
MY TAKE
After landing Hodge, I wasn’t sure if that would sway Thomas to a program like Vanderbilt, who he had officially visited in late August. Ultimately the blue-blood status of the program combined with their long-term vision for Thomas as a player won his services. His competitive motor, violent explosiveness around the rim and mobility for his size are all extremely valuable in today’s game. Over his high school career, his jumper has become more fluid and the confidence is evident especially from 15-to-17 feet. If he’s able to become a pick-and-pop threat, it’ll open up driving opportunities to attack the basket where he is no stranger to delivering posterizing dunks. Where he is most dangerous is on the defensive end. He has ability to guard multiple positions competently and is able to satisfy crucial columns on the stat sheet that help translate to wins.