New Dayton recruit has ‘high-level athletic ability’

DeMatha also has a strong tradition of producing coaches. Alumnus Mike K. Jones led the program from 2002 to 2021 before becoming head coach at Old Dominion. Mike Brey, the former Notre Dame coach, is another notable graduate. The list goes on.

The current coach, Mike G. Jones, took the reins at DeMatha in the summer of 2022, just in time to see one of the latest DeMatha stars, Malcolm Thomas, emerge as a high-ranked recruit. Thomas, a 6-foot-8 forward, played two seasons for Jones and then spent one season at Villanova before entering the transfer portal and committing to the Dayton Flyers on Thursday.

“Great kid, first of all,“ Jones said. ”Great family. Super athletic. High-level athletic ability. I think Dayton is getting a guy who’s going to be hungry to compete. Malcolm is a very athletic lefty who can protect the rim at a high level, but also, as far as getting up and down the court, his speed and quickness is second to none. I’m looking forward to seeing him play there for coach (Anthony) Grant, and I think he’s going to do really well.”

Thomas averaged 11.6 points and 4.7 blocked shots per game as a senior.

“He led us in blocked shots his junior and senior years,” Jones said. “He developed into a really good 3-point shooter toward the end of his senior year. The way he sets picks, drives to the basket, attacks the basket ... we had a lot of live plays for him. He had a plethora of highlight dunks his senior year and junior year, but more his senior year. He’s just a well-rounded player. His bread and butter is blocking shots, running the floor and dunking the ball.”

At Villanova’s Hoops Mania dunk contest in September, Thomas became the first true freshman to win since Donte DiVincenzo in 2015, showcasing a 360-degree dunk and an arm-through-the-hoop slam.”

Thomas even has the Obi Toppin special, the between-the-legs East Bay dunk, in his arsenal.

“He’s going to excite the crowd with his athletic ability,” Jones said.

Thomas didn’t get the chance to display his skills at Villanova once the season began. A knee injury kept him out of uniform early in the season. He also played the same position as Villanova’s leading scorer Eric Dixon, who led the nation with 23.3 points per game. He didn’t appear in a game, preserving four years of eligibility.

Jones said Thomas handled the redshirt year well.

“He’s a super hard worker,” Jones said. “So I would just tell him, ‘Just continue to work hard and try to learn from the guys in front of you, the guys that are playing, and understand when you get opportunities, just play as hard as you can.’”

Thomas joins guards Adam Njie Jr. (Iona), Jordan Derkack (Rutgers) and De’Shayne Montgomery (Georgia), all of whom committed to Dayton last week, in UD’s 2025 transfer class. The Dayton coaches likely will add to that list with one or two more recruits.

Dayton’s 2025-26 roster will also include freshmen forward Damon Friery and guard Jaron McKie.

Jones views Dayton as an ideal fit for Thomas.

“I know Anthony Grant’s system well,” Jones said. “I think he’s an excellent coach. I think he’ll find a way to get Malcolm involved early. And I think Malcolm could be really good there.”