College Basketball Expert Details Why Malik Thomas Will Be An Impact Player For Virginia Basketball

Virginia Basketball made one of the biggest additions through the transfer portal this offseason when they got San Francisco guard Malik Thomas to commit to the program and new head coach Ryan Odom. Thomas was one of the best scoring guards available in the portal and the Cavaliers had to beat out some real heavy hitters to land him.

What kind of impact is he going to bring to the floor this season though? ESPN's Jeff Borzello gave a quick breakdown in a recent article and ranked Thomas as the No. 46 transfer that was available in the portal:

46. Malik Thomas, 6-5, SG, Sr.

Transferring from San Francisco to Virginia

Outlook with Virginia: "Thomas could be the top offensive option for new head coach Ryan Odom. Thomas is the most proven scorer on the roster and will immediately start in the backcourt next to BYU transfer Dallin Hall. Odom has filled his first Virginia team with high-end perimeter shooters, and Thomas fits it well."

Pre-commitment analysis: "It was initially unclear if Thomas had any remaining eligibility, given he played, albeit sparingly, over a full season at USC in 2021-22, but he was granted another year. A first-team All-WCC selection, he averaged 19.9 points and shot 39.4% from 3-point range."

Our own William Smythe gave his breakdown of Thomas when he gave his commitment to the Cavaliers:

The 6’5”, 205 lb. guard led the West Coast Conference in scoring last season (19.9 PPG) and made the conference’s first-team list. He won a waiver after playing nine games at Southern California during his freshman campaign in 2021-22 and comes into Virginia as a graduate transfer.

Thomas chose San Francisco prior to his junior season, ultimately finding his footing after transitioning from the Pac-12. He led the Dons to a 25-10 record last year and recorded 20-plus points in 17 of 34 games played. Notably, Thomas averaged a 39.7% 3PT clip over his two seasons in the WCC. Despite having played sparingly in a high-major conference, Thomas is a prime example of finding “greener grass” at the mid-major level and returning with confidence to a high-caliber league in the ACC.

The California native will now play his last season of college basketball on the East Coast. Although Virginia had been linked to the senior guard for quite some time, Odom and his staff had to wait for a verdict on an extra year of eligibility. All signs would point to Thomas as a starter who fills the last area of need for this roster — an elite scorer.