The NCAA granted a waiver to San Francisco guard Malik Thomas for an additional season of eligibility, making him among the most talented players available in the transfer portal.
Thomas played just nine games as a freshman at USC in the 2021-22 season, and while he was not injured the NCAA will reward him a fourth full year after he played 27 games as a sophomore before transferring to San Francisco and playing 67 games the past two years.
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Gonzaga will be happy to not have to face Thomas in the WCC anymore, and would no doubt love to bring him to Spokane to suit up alongside Braeden Smith, Jalen Warley, and fellow newcomer Adam Miller in a new look Zag backcourt.
However, reporting from Jeff Goodman of the Field of 68 indicates Thomas is heavily expected to land at Virginia under new head coach Ryan Odom.
Thomas was among the best players in the conference last year, leading the WCC with 19.9 points per game while shooting 39.4% from deep and 85.1% from the free throw line, tacking on 3.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.6 steals per contest.
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The 6’4 guard began his career at USC but struggled to find playing time in two seasons, but really broke out during his two seasons with the Dons. His ability to get downhill and convert at the line and strong outside shooting makes him a blend of Nolan Hickman and Khalif Battle – a near perfect addition to this Zag roster.
Virginia is now led by Odum, who went 52-21 at VCU after going 44-25 at Utah State before that, and the Cavs have done well for themselves in the transfer portal, bringing in guards Dallin Hall (BYU), Jacari White (North Dakota State), and Sam Lewis (Toledo), forward Devin Tillis (UC Irvine), and center Ugonna Onyenso (Kansas State).
Thomas would be the lead man in a dynamic offensive system, and the ACC against Duke and North Carolina holds some allure, but he’d no doubt fit smoothly in Spokane where the interior scoring of Braden Huff and Graham Ike will pull attention away from him as a shooter, giving him plenty of open looks and chances to attack closeouts and get to the rim – not to mention extensive fastbreak opportunities.
Whether Gonzaga can snag him away from the Cavs remains to be seen, but both teams are also competing with the professional ranks, where Thomas is working out with NBA teams and hoping to get attention internationally as well.
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Gonzaga has five open scholarships after the addition of Adam Miller and commitment from Parker Jefferson, and they are known to be in the market for more backcourt help – recently contacting Desmond Claude and Duke Miles, who coincidentally decommitted from Virginia last month.
Related: Top Ranked Recruit in 2026 Class Has Plans to Visit Gonzaga
