North Carolina Hosting Talented Former SEC Commit

On Monday, reports surfaced that the Tar Heels will host a 4-star recruit in Chapel Hill on Tuesday. Here is who North Carolina is meeting with later today.

Malone Scheduled To Speak With Kevin Thomas

The 2026 4-star recruit originally signed with LSU in March, but decommitted from the program and reopened his recruitment. The 6-foot-6, 185-pound forward fits the mold of exactly the type of player Malone has pursued this offseason: Versatile and able to contribute on both ends of the floor.

Thomas is a bit undersized for a small forward at 185 pounds, but this roster's ability to be interchangeable based on circumstances will allow Malone to deploy several rotations that will highlight players' strengths while minimizing their weaknesses. Thomas is an active defender, and pairing him with Sayon Keita and Jarin Stevenson as the top defenders on the roster will surely be something Malone pitches to the incoming freshman during the visit.

Why North Carolina Should Feel Confident About Signing Thomas

Over the weekend, rumors circulated that the Tar Heels had contacted Greek center Alexandros Samodurov, who is connected to with Neoklis Avdalas.

• “Same agents, number one,” 247Sports' David Sisk said. “Number two, they (Samodurov and Avdalas) go back a long way from when they were together in Greece. They had even talked when they were younger about playing together if they went overseas to college or the pros, what have you. Evidently, they still have a close friendship.”

It appears Malone is utilizing that same process to his advantage. Matt Able, who officially signed with North Carolina this past weekend, played with Thomas in high school, which could be a major factor in Thomas' decision.

It is hard to envision Thomas earning starting minutes, but his ability to play small forward and power forward should provide him with legitimate minutes off the bench behind Able or Stevenson. At this point in the offseason, with several programs' rosters already filled out, North Carolina should feel relatively confident of landing Thomas.