Meleek Thomas erupts as Arkansas basketball rolls past James Madison

After a brief stretch of struggles, Meleek Thomas reminded everyone why his talent has never been in question.

The Arkansas freshman came out firing Monday night and delivered the best performance of his young Razorback career, pouring in a career-high 28 points to lead No. 18 Arkansas to a dominant 103–74 win over James Madison in its nonconference finale on Dec. 29. From the opening minutes, Thomas looked locked in, confident, and completely unbothered by the recent shooting slump that had followed him into the game. He used the extra time off with the holiday week to reset and recharge.

Meleek Thomas Hype Train is Back

Well-followed basketball account Hoops Herald captured the moment perfectly on X (formerly Twitter), posting during the game:

“Meleek Thomas is going NUCLEAR for Arkansas right now. No brainer first round pick.”

And on this night, it was hard to argue.

Thomas was scorching from deep, finishing 6-for-10 from three-point range, with most of his makes coming from the corners. Each shot seemed to further fuel his rhythm, and his confidence never wavered. Every touch felt dangerous. Every look felt clean. It was buckets, pure and simple.

That performance came after a rough three-game stretch in which Thomas shot just 6-for-27 from the field and 3-for-14 from beyond the arc. After a brilliant start to his college career, the freshman had cooled off, and questions naturally followed. But as Monday night showed, the talent never disappeared.

Thomas made it clear afterward that his belief in himself never changed.

"“I don’t really worry about nothing,” Thomas said. “Like, I don’t got no worry that I’m going to have another rough night. Like, if I 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.”"

Meleek Thomas

That mindset is rare, especially for a true freshman. And yes, Thomas is still a true freshman, something many tend to forget. His poise, maturity, and response to adversity reflect a player well beyond his years. Instead of pressing or losing confidence, he trusted his work and let the game come back to him.

Razorbacks’ Key X-Factor Entering Conference Play

Now averaging 15.2 points per game, Thomas has quietly become one of the best bench players in the country, someone who would start on the majority of teams across college basketball. Whether he’s coming off the bench or finishing games, his role is undeniable. Arkansas will look for his big games to come the rest of the way because if both him and fellow freshman star guard Darius Acuff get going together, watch out.

Bench or not, Meleek Thomas is a key piece for Arkansas moving forward. As the Razorbacks head into SEC play, his scoring punch, shooting confidence, and fearless mentality will be crucial. He stayed level headed and never got to high or low despite the struggles. Monday night wasn’t just a breakout, it was a reminder. The slump didn’t define him. The talent never vanished.

And when Meleek Thomas gets hot, the results speak for themselves.