By SAM LANCE
Kyle Neptune has his second commit in the 2024 class with three-star forward Malcolm Thomas pledging to the Wildcats on Thursday.
Thomas — the 6-foot-8, 195-pound forward from DeMatha Catholic (MD) and the Team Durant AAU program — will join four-star power forward Matthew Hodge in the 2024 class.
The son of former Syracuse and NBA big man Etan Thomas, he chose Villanova over his other finalists Cal, Florida State, Miami, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech and Xavier.
“Ultimately, my connection with the Villanova staff made the difference,” Thomas said to On3. “Nova feels like home. I see the vision that coach Neptune has for me and I see myself fitting in perfectly with the way they play.”
Thomas is ranked the No. 138 player in the nation per 247Sports and the No. 3 player in the state of Maryland. He described himself to have an evolving game and therefore Thomas is willing to do anything the coaches need.
“I love working and improving as an athlete, and the culture of hard work and tenacity at Villanova is definitely something I can’t wait to be a part of,” Thomas said to On3. “On top of that, the Big East is such a special conference, so I’m looking forward to being a part of something special.”
Former DeMatha coach Pete Strickland told ZAGSBLOG:
“He has tremendous, tremendou potential defensively,” he said. “He has a 7-foot wing span, at least.
“Offensively, he has capable hands, runs extraordinarily well and uses the rim to shield finishes. Shoots it well, but probably has a bit too much of a likeness to jumpers than he ought to right now. That can change. Bright kid. Likable.”
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