Meleek Thomas Breaks Out of Slump with Career Night in Arkansas’ Rout of James Madison
FAYETTEVILLE - Meleek Thomas missed his first shot Monday night. A clanked three-pointer, just moments after checking in during the first half against James Madison. It was the kind of look he’d buried with ease early in the season, but lately, those shots hadn’t been falling.
Coming into the game, Thomas had hit a rough patch - just 18 points combined over his last three outings against Houston, Queens, and Texas Tech, shooting 6-for-27 from the field in that stretch. For a player who opened the season with nine straight double-digit scoring performances, it was clear something had gone cold.
But if there’s one thing you learn quickly about Meleek Thomas, it’s this: the confidence never wavers.
He kept hunting his spots. He kept firing. And against James Madison, the freshman guard found his rhythm again - and then some.
Thomas dropped a career-high 28 points in Arkansas’ 103-74 win, shooting 8-for-16 from the floor and looking every bit like the offensive weapon he was projected to be. It was a return to form and a reminder of just how dangerous he can be when he’s locked in.
This wasn’t just a bounce-back performance - it was a statement.
After that initial miss, Thomas caught fire. He knocked down five straight shots, helping Arkansas build a 43-22 lead by the time he subbed out late in the first half. He poured in 18 points in just 12 first-half minutes, slicing through the Dukes’ defense and getting to the free-throw line with ease.
“I don’t really worry about nothing,” Thomas said after the game. “If I’m going to have a rough night, just throw it away.
It ain’t nothing. Just keep the Lord first and I know I’m going to do well.”
That mindset? It’s part of what makes him special.
Even when the shots weren’t falling in recent games, Thomas was still making himself felt. According to CBBAnalytics, he was being used on 25% of possessions and averaging 17.4 shot attempts per 40 minutes over the previous five games.
The volume was there - the efficiency just hadn’t followed.
But the shot quality? Still solid.
Thomas was taking nearly nine perimeter shots per 40 minutes, with over half of his total attempts this season coming from beyond the arc. And when he got to the corners - where spacing is tight and defenders close out fast - he was hitting at a 42.9% clip before Monday night.
So the foundation for a breakout was already there. It just needed a spark.
“He was back to being aggressive,” Arkansas head coach John Calipari said. “I told him, ‘I’m going to let you make plays, you just can’t go crazy 25 times.’
He’s trying to beg the ball in. You can’t; just shoot it.
If it goes, it goes.”
And on Monday, it went.
This was Arkansas’ fourth 100-point game of the season, and the Razorbacks (10-3) looked every bit like a team ready to turn the corner heading into SEC play. But the level of competition is about to rise - fast.
Next up? A showdown with No.
19 Tennessee at Bud Walton Arena. That’s where Thomas’ resurgence will be put to the test.
Against power-conference opponents this season, Thomas has averaged 15.2 points while shooting 33% from the field on 56 total attempts. Those numbers will need to tick upward if Arkansas is going to make real noise in the SEC. Regardless of how the league stacks up compared to last year, the margin for error is razor-thin when conference play begins.
But Monday night was a reminder: Thomas has the tools. The shot.
The confidence. The work ethic.
“It makes it easier for all of us,” said guard D.J. Wagner, who added 14 points of his own.
“That’s who he is. It’s an honor to have a teammate like that, just to be able to be out there with him, because that’s who he is.
He makes all of us better.”
Thomas left the court to a loud ovation, high-fiving fans with a grin that said everything. He looked like himself again - both in the box score and in body language.
According to Calipari, that energy had been building since Thomas returned from the holiday break.
“He had the same mannerisms, the same joy,” Calipari said. “I told him, ‘I know, when you go home, what you’re hearing.’”
There’s always pressure when you’re a highly touted freshman, especially in a class as stacked as this one. But Thomas isn’t shying away from it.
“My work never changes,” he said. “Over the break, I was just in the gym, in the gym, in the gym.
My work’s never going to change…. If I have a bad shooting night, it’s not going to be long because I know the preparation is always there.”
Monday night, that preparation paid off. And if Thomas keeps bringing that same mindset into SEC play, Arkansas just might have their X-factor ready for the spotlight.