When players skip NBA Combine scrimmages, they almost never come back to college and Meleek Thomas just skipped his.
Arkansas Razorbacks guard Meleek Thomas reacts after a made three point basket during the second half at Bridgestone Arena. | Steve Roberts-Imagn ImagesThe freshman shooting guard who spent this past season quietly becoming one of the most productive players in the SEC didn't suit up for scrimmages at the 2026 NBA Draft Combine this week in Chicago.
He went through the drills. He posted his measurements. He let his shooting percentages make the case for him.
Then he stepped off the floor and let somebody else play in the games. For the folks that have watched it closely for years, Sit-outs tend to end college time and that's not great news for Razorbacks fans hoping he comes back to Fayetteville. Thomas was one of four Hogs in Chicago this week alongside Darius Acuff Jr., Billy Richmond and Trevon Brazile. All four went through measurements and on-court testing Tuesday.
When the scrimmages tipped off Wednesday, Thomas and Acuff were nowhere near the court. The history behind it makes a strong case that Thomas has already made up his mind, whether he's said so publicly or not. The combine is designed to let prospects show NBA teams what they can do in a controlled setting. Players who are firmly in draft mode, particularly those who've already heard promising things from front offices, often protect themselves by skipping the scrimmages entirely.
There's no need to risk an ankle or a bad shooting night when a team has already told you they like what they see. The pattern is backed up with the numbers. Of the 28 combine attendees who didn't participate in scrimmages last year, only two returned to college, Alabama's Labaron Philon and Florida's Alex Condon. A dozen of those 28 ended up being lottery picks.
Another 11 were selected in the back half of the first round. Just three landed in the second round, including Arkansas forward Adou Thiero. Of 20 scrimmage sit-outs, only Creighton's Ryan Kalkbrenner and New Mexico's JT Toppin, who later transferred to Texas Tech eventually returned to school. Four of those 20 were lottery picks.
Ten more were taken in the remainder of the first round. The final four went in the second round. In short, players who skip the scrimmages almost always get drafted and they're usually drafted well. Arkansas Razirbacks forward Meleek Thomas down load against the Jackson State Tigers at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark.
| Nilsen Roman-allHOGS ImagesThomas entered the draft while retaining his collegiate eligibility, which means he's keeping his options open on paper. The combine performance he put together in the drills and measurements don't sound like a guy leaning toward a return to Fayetteville. He measured 6-foot-3 barefoot with a 6-foot-6.75 wingspan at 189.6 pounds, with an 8-foot-4 standing reach. His hand length came in at 8 inches and hand width at 7.5 inches.
In the shooting drills, he shot 73.3% off the dribble, tied for 13th among all participants, and went a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line, tied for first. His spot-up three-point shooting came in at 56%, tied for 25th. Those show a player whose shooting ability in particular translates to the next level and NBA teams know it. Thomas is currently considered a consensus late first-round prospect, with some projections placing him inside the top 20.
He's listed 10th on NBADraftRoom.com's 2026 mock and 18th on NBADraft.net. That's a range where players typically hear from teams early in the process and make their decisions based on concrete assurances rather than guesswork. Arkansas Razorbacks guard Meleek Thomas during summer practices at the Eddie Sutton Practice Court in Fayetteville, Ark. | Andy Hodges-allHOGS ImagesIt's worth looking back and remembering how Thomas got here, because his freshman year at Arkansas wasn't built on hype.
The SEC All-Freshman Team selection averaged 15.6 points and 3.8 rebounds across 37 games with 21 starts. He led the Hogs in free throw percentage at 84.3% and steals with 57, while ranking second on the team in scoring and assists. His 41.6% three-point shooting for the season was impressive, but what made scouts take notice was his work in SEC play specifically. he shot 48.7% from deep in conference games, an Arkansas record.
He did all of it while playing in the shadow of Acuff, who drew the bulk of national attention as one of the top point guards in the country. Thomas and Acuff formed what became the top-scoring freshman duo in Division I since 2019-20, combining for 1,424 points. They also became the first freshman pair to each post at least 20 points and five assists in the same NCAA Tournament game.
Arkansas coach John Calipari works with guard Meleek Thomas during the second half of a SEC tournament semifinal game against Ole Miss at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. , | ANDREW NELLES / THE TENNESSEAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesThe deadline for players to withdraw from the draft and return to school is May 27. If Thomas doesn't pull his name, Arkansas loses a player who was arguably its second-most important piece this season.
The Hogs are already navigating the Acuff situation — he's a projected lottery pick and almost certainly gone. Brazile has exhausted his eligibility. That's a lot of production walking out the door from a team that reached the NCAA Tournament this past season. Richmond, a sophomore who also retained his eligibility, is still a candidate to return to the Razorbacks depending on the feedback he gets in Chicago.
He's participating in the scrimmages, which itself signals his situation is more unsettled than Thomas's appears to be. But if Thomas leaves, Arkansas coach John Calipari faces a roster rebuild that goes well beyond replacing one player. The Hogs would need to find scoring, creation off the dribble and three-point shooting — exactly the skills Thomas brought to the starting lineup night after night this past season.
He can still withdraw, retain his eligibility and come back for his sophomore season. But the decision to sit out the scrimmages in a year when the overwhelming majority of players who made that same choice ended up getting drafted tells a story that's hard to argue with. He went through the drills. He showed his measurements.
He let his shooting percentages do the talking. That's not guys do without having a good idea of the impact. Money's too big of a deal. The most pressing question for Razorbacks basketball heading into the offseason isn't whether Thomas gets drafted.
It's whether Calipari can find the pieces to fill the void he's likely about to leave behind in Fayetteville. Sports columnist, writer, former radio host and television host who has been expressing an opinion on sports in the media for over four decades. He has been at numerous media stops in Arkansas, Texas and Mississippi.
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