Malik Thomas is charting a new course, trading the steep slopes of San Francisco for the rolling hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. After starting his college career at USC, Thomas found his footing under Chris Gerlufsen at San Francisco, emerging as the West Coast Conference’s leading scorer and one of its most dynamic offensive weapons. While in the Bay, he showcased a refined mid-range game, strength through contact, and the ability to create off the dribble.
For the 2025-26 season, he brings that skill set to Virginia, where the demands will shift. In the hothouse of the ACC, Thomas will be asked not just to score, but to initiate Ryan Odom’s offense, elevate teammates and help usher in a new era in Charlottesville.
If he adapts, he has the tools to become a high-level two-way contributor in one of the country’s most competitive leagues.
There’s no question that he’s a bucket. The real test now: can he become a nigh-to-night offensive engine in the ACC?
Self-created offense
During the 2025-26 season, only nine Division I players met all of the following benchmarks: a usage rate above 25 percent, an assist rate of at least 10 percent, a turnover rate below 13 percent and shooting splits of at least 37 percent from 3 and 80 percent from the free throw line. Thomas, who led the West Coast Conference in scoring at 19.9 points per game, was among that select group — joining offensive talents like Washington Wizards lottery pick Tre Johnson, John Tonje (on a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz), Curtis Jones (two-way with the Denver Nuggets), Eric Dixon and current Indiana guard Lamar Wilkerson.
Thomas is listed at 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, and he uses his strength and solid frame, along with a soft shooting touch, to score effectively off the dribble from multiple levels of the floor. He’s a polished scorer capable of generating his own shot in a variety of situations.
On this possession against Santa Clara, Thomas receives a slot ball screen from Carlton Linguard midway through the shot clock. As 7-footer Christoph Tilly (now at Ohio State) hedges out, Thomas protects the ball and strings out the action to his left. When Tilly recovers to cover Linguard on the roll, Tyeree Bryan (now at Texas Tech) scrambles to close out on Thomas, who rises up and gets the shot off despite the athletic contest.
According to CBB Analytics, less than 36 percent of Thomas’ field goals were assisted last season. Of his 69 made 3-pointers, only 60.9 percent were assisted — ranking in the 90th percentile nationally. He also averaged 5.0 unassisted field goals per 40 minutes (96th percentile), including 3.9 unassisted 2-pointers.
Thomas is comfortable creating off the dribble in the midrange, where he’s a high-volume shooter. In his final season at San Francisco, he averaged 5.9 2-point attempts per 40 minutes away from the rim, including 2.7 per 40 from outside the paint (88th percentile).
When coming off a ball screen and facing drop coverage, as he does here against Saint Louis, Thomas is quick to read the defense and get to his jumper.
His efficiency on these looks isn’t ideal; Thomas shot 34.1 percent on 2-point attempts in the paint (but away from the rim) and 33.3 percent on 2s outside the lane. Still, this type of shot creation can add value in a half-court offense, especially when a possession breaks down and someone needs to generate a look late in the clock.
After another ball screen against Santa Clara, Thomas doesn’t have the straight-line speed to turn the corner against Bryan 1-on-1. However, he gets to his Barkley-style drive — backing down as he approaches the paint — and uses excellent footwork to spin away from the contest.
This is a difficult shot, but Thomas makes the fadeaway jumper from the middle of the paint look easy, even against a solid contest.
Thomas is more effective attacking defenders with a ball screen, but he’s capable of creating 1-on-1 as well. In this end-of-half possession against Clemson, the Dons enter the ball to Thomas at the left elbow and run some off-ball action around him. Thomas fakes two handoffs, keeps the ball and faces up against Jaeden Zackery, a quality guard defender, before getting to his spot and rising for a lightly contested jumper.
Notably, Thomas balanced his midrange volume with efficient three-point shooting (39.7 3P% on 9.4 3PA per 100 possessions over two seasons at USF), consistent rim pressure and frequent trips to the free throw line. Last year, he drew 3.3 shooting fouls per 40 minutes — ranking in the 98th percentile nationally — a slight increase from 2.6 per 40 minutes in the 2023-24 season. This helps explain how, despite attempting 459 field goals last season, Thomas maintained a free throw attempt rate (FTA/FGA) of 48.4 percent, good for 182nd nationally among qualified players, according to KenPom.
Going up here against Oregon State, Thomas displays patience in the pick-and-roll and a confident handle, allowing Parsa Fallah (Oklahoma State) to hedge and recover before executing a hang dribble crossover combo mover. Leveraging the power of his step-back jumper, Thomas gets Isaiah Sy off balance and drives downhill, drawing a foul in the process.
Digging through Bart Torvik’s database, only three Division I players last season posted free throw attempt rates above 45 percent while also attempting at least 250 2-point shots: Florida State’s Jamir Watkins, a powerful downhill driver and foul magnet (now with the Washington Wizards), and Tyson Degenhart of Boise State.
And since the 2007-08 season, only 19 Division I players have hit those same numbers while also shooting at least 85 percent from the free throw line and 37 percent from beyond the arc, including Damian Lillard, Jimmer Fredette, Ajay Mitchell, Shabazz Napier and Mark Sears. This explains how Thomas can shoot 47.5 percent on 15.5 two-point attempts per 100 possessions while maintaining a true shooting percentage above 59 percent.
Put it all together, and you get the statistical profile of an efficient volume scorer who brings shot-making versatility and foul creation to an offense.
Seeking out contact
While Thomas is an explosive scorer with plenty of self-generated offense at the guard position, he isn’t necessarily a prolific space creator with the ball. Though strong and skilled, he lacks the quick-twitch handle and lateral shiftiness needed to create easy separation from defenders. This sometimes results in awkward, difficult shot attempts when Thomas is forced to attack 1-on-1 against stickier defenders. Complicating matters: he also doesn’t have the length to consistently extend and get his shots off whenever he wants, given these separation limitations.
For example, late in the clock against Gonzaga, Thomas works hard to create space for a step-back 3. Even after the step-back, he has to lean away from the hoop to gain just enough room against the 6-foot Ryan Nembhard.
Here’s another late-clock possession from Thomas — this time against Washington State. A wing ball screen flows into an isolation look for Thomas as the shot clock dips under 10 seconds. Once again, Thomas initiates with his back to the basket, but as he spins into a fadeaway, his jumper is blocked by the 6-foot-2 Nate Calmese — one of just 13 career blocks in 80 college games.
Thomas uses a lot of dribbles on this possession against Nate Kingz (Syracuse) and still needs a stiff arm to create separation. Despite the push-off, Kingz recovers during the gather and is able to alter the step-back attempt.
San Francisco runs its “Chin Ricky” action here against Gonzaga — a back screen for Thomas followed by a re-screen pindown. Thomas walks Nolan Hickman down towards the lane, but he doesn’t create much separation coming off the down screen. Hickman navigates around it and delivers a strong contest, while Thomas kicks his leg out (a common habit) in an attempt to draw a shooting foul.
Thomas, however, has counters. He’s a clever player who blends brains with brawn to go at defenders, get to his spots and pressure the rim. He uses a strong lower body to maintain balance and deploys his shoulders like battering rams — muscling through defenders and chiseling his way to the basket. While not the quickest player, Thomas is crafty, mixing speeds and changing directions to get defenders off balance and find seams to the rim.
In this possession against Washington State, Thomas brings the ball up and crosses half court with 26 seconds on the shot clock. The Cougars are set in drop coverage, which is a scheme designed to keep the center deep in the paint and the ball out of the restricted area. Thomas has other ideas, though. Linguard sets a flat ball screen, with his back parallel to the baseline, allowing Thomas to drive either way. He starts right, crosses over to his left, shakes the on-ball defender and immediately engages the second level of the defense. With the drop big in front of him, Thomas changes direction again — shifting back to his right and accelerating to create an angle on Ethan Price and finish through contact at the rim.
On this 5-out possession, Thomas receives a handoff in the left slot with Saint Louis in drop coverage. As he dribbles off the screen into space, he gets his defender on his hip and creates separation with a left-handed forearm shove while snaking back across the screen. The move forces SLU into a late switch, and Robbie Avila doesn’t have the foot speed to properly contest the pull-up jumper.
Here, Thomas attacks drop coverage off an empty-side handoff, lurching into the paint with Bryan trailing in rearview pursuit. Santa Clara collapses into the lane, and a third defender briefly digs down from the top of the key. As Thomas shot fakes, the help defender retreats while Tilly and Bryan switch on the fly — forcing the 7-foot center to lunge out at Thomas. Now isolated in the post and facing a significant size disadvantage, Thomas uses all his strength and guile, ramming his left shoulder into Tilly before immediately rising into a short, fall-away jumper.
This is another 5-out possession for USF, with Thomas setting a down screen on the left side before sprinting into a handoff that flows into a screen-and-roll. From there, it’s a clear-out: USF lifts all four off-ball players above the arc, giving Thomas space to operate. He backs down his defender and then uncorks some old-school low-post offense: shot-faking toward the middle, maintaining his pivot foot, and reverse-spinning away from the defense for an uncontested lefty layup.
These Barkley drives, combined with his arsenal of shot fakes and polished footwork, should be a valuable asset for Virginia’s offense. When isolated, Thomas can use his strength to get closer to the rim, either scoring 1-on-1 or kicking out when the double team arrives.
Passing and Decision-Making
The shot diet and 28.7 percent usage rate Thomas carried last season at San Francisco might suggest a shot-chasing gunner. There’s some truth to that. He ranked second in the WCC in usage and total field goal attempts, and finished in the Top 5 in both 2-point and 3-point attempts. However, labeling him a ball-stopper misrepresents his game. Thomas made meaningful strides as a playmaker and operated within the flow of USF’s offense, contributing both on and off the ball.
After posting an assist rate of just 5.1 percent over his first three seasons of college hoops, Thomas saw that number jump to 14.6 percent last season as the Dons restructured their playmaking apparatus following the departure of do-everything forward Jonathan Mogbo (23.4 percent usage, 24.3 percent assist rate in 2023–24), now with the Toronto Raptors. According to CBB Analytics, Thomas created 32.2 points per 40 minutes last season, ranking in the 96th percentile nationally in terms of the total points he scored plus teammates points scored on his assists.
When initiating offense, Thomas may not be a high-level manipulator as a primary creator, but he’s patient with the ball, makes smart decisions (12.8 percent turnover rate) and leverages his scoring gravity to draw multiple defenders, opening opportunities for teammates.
This is excellent execution against SLU’s drop coverage. As soon as Thomas dribbles off the ball screen, he hits the brakes and instantly pins the trailing defender to his hip. Thomas keeps his defender locked in, walking him down into the paint and forcing the drop defender into a tough dilemma: help on Thomas or stay with the roller? Thomas influences the decision by gathering as if for a midrange shot, pulling in the post defender before finding Ndewedo Newbury at the rim, where he draws a foul.
Thomas can also deliver some artful passes in these live-ball situations. As a finisher, he relies primarily on his right hand, and the same is true for his passing, though he occasionally shows flashes of skill with his left as well.
For the most part, Thomas has a smooth passing rhythm. His ball-handling process is clean, though he occasionally struggles with his feel, which can be a bit inconsistent.
The Dons run “Floppy” action from this 5-out set, with Thomas starting in the right corner. He rejects a down screen and runs off staggered screens to the left side of the floor, closely guarded by Hickman throughout the sequence. Without a clean catch-and-shoot opportunity, Thomas flows into a middle pick-and-roll. As Veniamin Abosi rolls to the rim, Michael Ajayi hard hedges. In theory, with two defenders on the ball, Abosi should be open on the short roll; however, similar to Houston’s defensive scheme — where guards leap into passing lanes with both arms as their teammate hedges — Hickman anticipates the pass and swats it away, creating a turnover.
As the game progressed against the Bulldogs, Thomas settled into Gonzaga’s coverage. A few minutes later, San Francisco runs an empty-corner pick-and-roll. Graham Ike hedges out on Thomas, leaving Saba Gigiberia open on the roll, with weak-side help pulled away from the lane. Nembhard leaps to contest, but Thomas anticipates it, putting extra air under his pass and finding Gigiberia in space for a dunk.
Thanks to his patience in ball-screen actions, Thomas is a good partner for pick-and-pop bigs. When the 4 or 5 pops after setting a screen for him, Thomas holds the ball a half-second longer or dribbles once more to keep the defensive big attached — preventing them from recovering early to their assignment.
Last year, Thomas averaged 1.3 assists on above-the-break 3-pointers (75th percentile), a significant increase from the previous season (when he had a different offensive role), accounting for 57.1 percent of his total assists. This type of passing feel could be a nice feature to pair in actions with Johann Grunloh, who has some intriguing stretch potential and shot 33.7 percent from beyond the arc in all competitions in Europe during the 2024-25 season.
Transition Offense
As one might expect from a prolific scorer, Thomas is an opportunist in transition. Whether pushing the pace with the ball or sprinting to fill a lane, he’s a burner on the break, eager to attack a retreating, unsettled defense. According to CBB Analytics, 15.5 percent of his field goal attempts in the 2023-24 season came in transition, where he shot 68.8 percent on 2-point attempts (22-of-32 2PA) and 54.5 percent on 3-point attempts (6-of-11 3PA). During his final season in The Bay, 18.5 percent of his field goal attempts were in transition, shooting 62.7 percent on 2-pointers and 34.5 percent from beyond the arc.
Thomas often creates his own transition opportunities by taking possession after a steal (2.9 percent steal rate), long rebound or short outlet pass, then driving downhill toward the rim. This play illustrates poor transition defense from Washington State: no one steps in front of Thomas. Despite there being a few defenders back in the half court, he faces no resistance until reaching the restricted area, and by then, it’s too late. With full momentum, Thomas finishes through contact for a bucket and a foul.
Given his compact, powerful frame, the open floor provides another opportunity for Thomas to showcase his ability to play through contact. He kickstarts this transition possession by blowing up Washington State’s staggered screen action, punching through the double down screens to get the steal and create a 1-on-1 fast break. With a size and strength advantage over the 6-foot-1, 190-pound Parker Gerrits, Thomas uses his shoulder to initiate contact and create separation for the finish.
The Dons don’t have a numerical advantage on this transition possession, but after receiving a hit-ahead pass against Saint Mary’s, Thomas senses an opportunity. He attacks the seam against a scrambling defense, demonstrating strong core balance as he shifts gears, absorbs contact from the 6-foot-6, 215-pound Luke Barrett and finishes with touch.
One of the most impressive aspects of his contact absorption is the ability to finish with a soft touch around the basket. Here, Thomas fills the lane on a fast break against Oregon State. After receiving a pass from Marcus Williams, he powers up for the finish, absorbing a bump from the 6-foot-9, 220-pound Michael Rataj (Baylor) while keeping his upper body steady to finish off the glass.
While Thomas is wired to score, his playmaking ability also shows up in transition, with hit-ahead passes and kick-outs that lead to rim finishes or catch-and-shoot triples.
On the backside of San Francisco’s pick-and-roll defense, Thomas helps generate a turnover, creating another grab-and-go opportunity. With three teammates positioned around the arc — two on the wings and corners, one trailing — Santa Clara’s defense fails to match up properly. James O’Donnell breaks free cutting to the rim, and Thomas doesn’t miss him, quickly scanning the defense before snapping a bounce pass to his moving center for an easy dunk.
Thomas isn’t a one-man fast break or an otherworldly open-floor passer, but he makes smart reads with the ball and consistently gets into the paint. Run the floor with him, cut hard and he’ll find you for efficient looks at the rim.
Playing off the catch
Thomas can do a lot with the ball, whether operating as a primary initiator or as an attacking guard with a heavy creation load. That said, he remains a versatile player because he can shoot well off the catch and understands how to move effectively without the ball.
On this possession, as Newbury attacks Clemson’s Ian Schieffelin off the bounce, Thomas spaces out to the opposite wing. Newbury’s drive forces Chase Hunter to show help at the nail, where he digs off Thomas and forces Newbury to pick up his dribble. Meanwhile, Thomas takes two shuffle steps to his left, moving from the wing to the slot. This creates a cleaner passing window for Newbury and forces Hunter to take a slightly longer path on the closeout.
When spotted up around the arc, Thomas puts pressure on defenders to close out hard — lest he be given too much space for a catch-and-shoot 3-ball. Of course, these aggressive closeouts can open up driving lanes, and Thomas is a skilled catch-and-go player who likes to attack a tilted defense off the dribble.
During this second-chance opportunity, Thomas receives a kick-out in the left slot. Washington State scrambles to close out, but Thomas uses a shot fake to get his defender off balance and then drives straight to the hoop, finishing through contact.
Thomas isn’t all brute force as a driver, though. Up at the Palouse, he settles into the corner on this transition play. The ball gets kicked out to him, forcing another closeout and giving him a catch-and-go chance. As Price slides over from the weak side, maybe trying to take a charge, Thomas uses a slick Euro-step to glide around him and finishes with a reverse layup on the other side of the rim.
According to CBB Analytics, Thomas shot 64.3 percent at the rim in the 2024-25 season, with 27.7 percent of his field goal attempts coming from that range. Over his career, even with just four dunks, he’s a 63.3 percent shooter at the rim. A big part of that efficiency comes from his willingness to attack off the catch — whether it’s spot-ups, dribble handoffs or down screens.
On this after-timeout set against the Zags, San Francisco runs “Loop” action. It’s an old San Antonio Spurs play, now with Thomas in Tony Parker’s role, navigating three baseline screens. As he curls around the third screen, Thomas uses his footwork and a quick dribble to shift gears and get downhill, driving through contact and drawing a foul.
Next, the Dons run a 5-out set with Thomas starting in the left corner and down screens on both sides of the floor. The 5-foot-11 point guard Ryan Beasley sets a pindown for Thomas before popping out to the corner, helping open up the paint. With Gonzaga’s center Ike pulled out above the arc to guard the ball, Thomas spots some daylight. He catches the pass on the move, slashes downhill, splits the defense and finishes with another and-one bucket.
Thomas’ ability to come off down screens and attack is definitely aided by his jumper. He’s a solid 3-point shooter coming off pindowns, with good footwork and a quick, compact release. Thomas is fluid when shifting from a potential catch-and-shoot into a drive.
Here’s another after-timeout play for Thomas. The ball starts with a feed to the high post while Thomas begins in the left corner. After Junjie Wang fakes a handoff back to Beasley, Thomas sprints along the baseline off staggered screens. His defender goes over the first screen and under the second, giving Thomas, who comes off the screens ready to shoot, enough space for a quick catch-and-shoot 3.
From the Oregon State matchup in The Bay: USF gets into its 5-out flow. Tyrone Riley and Linguard run pick-and-pop action from the left corner, with Thomas spaced in the opposite slot. Riley wheels into the paint and kicks it back out to Linguard; the Beavers have done well to keep the ball in front. As soon as Linguard receives the ball, the Dons move to their next progression: they snap into “Zoom” action, with Riley setting an off-ball screen for Thomas, who sprints into a handoff from Linguard. Kingz goes over the top, but Linguard’s screen disrupts him enough, and Fallah is positioned well below the level of the screen. Thomas sprints into a 3-ball opportunity and drills the catch-and-shoot.
Coast to coast, role to role
Given his versatility as a shooter and passer, along with his ability to move without the ball, Thomas is a scalable player who can be used in a variety of offensive contexts while also complementing ball handlers and frontcourt hubs who demand some level of usage.
For example, pairing Thomas with UC Irvine transfer Devin Tillis (6-7, 240), a skilled forward who can initiate offense and pass out of the post, gives Virginia a physical edge in playmaking — something that should become a core part of the team’s identity. Tillis is a mismatch threat who can also step out and hit 3s, which adds to his own versatility. With this duo, there’s plenty of low-hanging fruit in two-man actions involving Thomas and Tillis screening for one another, including inverted actions with Thomas screening for Tillis.
This roster features a healthy collection of ball-handling talent, including veterans Dallin Hall, who can serve as a half-court initiator (27.8 percent career assist rate) and play off the ball (35.7 3P% career), and Jacari White (an elite movement shooter), along with freshman point guard Chance Mallory and wildcard swingman Elijah Gertrude. Ideally, Thomas will be able to scale back his usage (at least slightly), play off these teammates, play off the catch with greater frequency, and become an even more efficient perimeter threat, despite the jump in competition.
Matched up with NC State, Hall initiates BYU’s “Spain” pick-and-roll action — called “Snap” by head coach Kevin Young, a term he brought from his days as offensive coordinator of the Phoenix Suns. NC State traps the ball handler and the weak side collapses on the roller, leaving Kanon Catchings (UGA) wide open in the weak-side corner. Hall reads the defense and delivers a skip pass.
VCU ran its own version of “Spain/Snap” pick-and-roll, and you could — hypothetically — see Thomas fitting in as a piece in multiple parts of this action: initiating the ball screen like Max Shulga, setting the back pick like Joe Bamisile or spacing to the corners. Odom will have the versatility to cycle his guards in and out of these different roles.
Shulga, drafted 57th overall in the 2025 NBA Draft and now on a two-way contract with the Boston Celtics, and Bamisile offer interesting comparisons to Thomas in terms of usage. Both were explosive scorers and playmakers in Odom’s system, with Shulga alternating between roles as primary initiator and off-ball shooter.
Whether it’s early-offense “Pistol” action or a random guard-guard screen late in the shot clock, Odom consistently involves his guards in combined actions. As Shulga resets the offense late in this possession against Colorado State, Phillip Russell sprints toward him and runs a little “Blur” action as he slips out to the wing. Shulga takes advantage and drives downhill for a finish in the paint.
White's gravity as an off-ball mover could be especially impactful during these moments of flow offense, creating catch-and-shoot opportunities or defensive lapses along the perimeter that open driving lanes for Thomas.
After a timeout, on this end-of-half possession against SLU, VCU comes out in a 1-4 Flat set with Shulga on the ball. As the clock winds down, Bamisile lifts to set a screen for Shulga, then relocates to the left wing. Shulga collapses the defense and kicks out to a wide-open Bamisile.
If Odom can strike the right blend, his group of on-ball creators, including Tillis, could pose a serious challenge for ACC defenses in various “Pistol” actions.
I refer to this as Odom’s “Pistol Flip Ricky” action: a guard-to-guard exchange between Shulga and Bamisile, where Shulga hits ahead to Bamisile, who immediately flips the ball back to him. After the quick exchange, Bamisile runs off a flare screen from Luke Bamgboye (Texas Tech), then pivots and cuts back toward Shulga off a re-screen from Bamgboye. The action puts Nevada’s defense in motion, and VCU swings the ball around for a corner 3.
Odom also ran well-designed sets to free up his top two perimeter scorers off down screens. This is VCU’s “Chin Pindown” action. Shulga initiates the play after receiving a pass from Russell and immediately cuts down off a Chin back screen from Bamgboye. Rather than lifting to set a ball screen for Shulga or positioning himself for high-post initiation, Bamgboye pivots and sets a down screen for Bamisile, who comes out of the right corner. Bamisile creates separation and curls the pindown, leading to an easy pitch-and-catch with Shulga for an open 3.
Another way Odom gets his shooters going is through off-ball screen-the-screener (STS) action. It’s simple stuff, but it can really scramble off-ball defenders: have a guard set a back screen or slice screen, then immediately sprint off a down screen from another teammate.
One example is what I call VCU’s “Thru STS” action. Shulga starts the after-timeout play off the ball in the left corner. Terrence Hill brings it up and passes to Alphonzo Billups on the right wing. After the pass, Hill pops out to the left wing, cutting through the lane, and Bamgboye recycles the ball back to him. As that happens, Shulga sets a cross screen along the baseline to bring Michael Belle to the left block. To complete the screen-the-screener sequence, Shulga then comes off a middle down screen from Bamgboye, resulting in another clean catch-and-shoot opportunity.
These sets will also be on the table for White, who was one of the best shooters in the country last season: 54.9 percent on 2-point attempts, 39 percent on 3-point attempts (205 3PA) and 85.6 percent from the line.
For Thomas, all of this — the usage, the playmaking hierarchy, the set actions — leads to another intriguing question about this new partnership: how much, if at all, will Thomas be asked to adjust his shot distribution in Odom’s system? Last season at USF, Thomas was a volume scorer in the midrange, which runs slightly counter to Odom’s offensive philosophy. Odom’s system seemingly leans into an analytical approach: layups and 3-pointers galore. According to CBB Analytics, only 6.8 percent of VCU’s field goal attempts last season were 2-point shots outside the lane (15th percentile), while 16.4 percent came from inside the paint but away from the rim (27th percentile).
Meanwhile, VCU ranked inside the Top 25 nationally in 3-point attempt rate, with 47.8 percent of its field goal attempts coming from beyond the arc. This marked the third consecutive season that an Odom-led team attempted at least 42 percent of its shots from 3, each year finishing in the Top 65 of Division I.
In the 2023-24 season, only 5.9 percent of VCU’s field goal attempts were 2-point shots outside the paint, placing them in the 5th percentile nationally.
Thomas could reach another level of efficiency with a higher volume of 3s and fewer midrange attempts. On the flip side, his midrange scoring touch could serve as a valuable counterpunch, helping to generate offense during stagnant stretches while allowing the rest of the roster to focus on those high-value areas: at the rim and beyond the arc.
Closing it out
Malik Thomas arrives in Charlottesville as a proven high-usage scorer with a deep bag of offensive tools, but Virginia isn’t just betting on his shot-making. What makes Thomas such a compelling fit for Ryan Odom’s system is how all of his individual parts — the physicality, the shooting touch, the self-creation, the pick-and-roll patience, the shooting versatility — have begun to coalesce into something greater. His efficiency stayed high last season despite a heavy workload, and he demonstrated a growing understanding of how to manipulate defenses as both a scorer and a passer. If the statistical profile is any indication, he’s already blending shot-making with playmaking in ways that elevate teammates, not just himself.
Now, the challenge is to adapt all of that to the ACC, where the athletes are longer and quicker, and where opposing coaching staffs have more resources to game plan.
In Odom's offense, Thomas may be asked to trim some of the tough midrange pull-ups in favor of more 3-pointers, drives and reads off of ball screens. However, that doesn’t mean losing his identity. On the contrary, with a deep backcourt, and multiple ball-handlers around him, Thomas has the chance to scale into a role that maximizes his strengths while conserving energy to compete on the defensive end.
If he finds the right balance, Thomas could be the piece that turns Virginia’s new-look roster into a threat in the ACC.
