Jermel Thomas: NYC's Next Great Guard

Last weekend, we got the chance to see Jermel Thomas live, in action at the Boys UAA Finals in Chicago, Illinois.

Jermel Thomas, a 6’3 PG in the class of 2026 from New York, displayed his talent and competitiveness last weekend at the UAA Finals. Playing with the Riverside Hawks, Thomas led his team to the Elite Eight round of bracket play. Watching Thomas, the first thing that stands out is his competitive spirit. Thomas’s passion for the game is evident. Taking pride in his defense and being relentless on offense, Thomas is a high-energy point guard and leader. Thomas’s quick-twitch characteristics are displayed tremendously on the offensive side of the ball. Precise jabs, change of direction, and acceleration allow Thomas to get to his spots with ease, making him very difficult to stay in front of. Off-ball, Thomas looks to space the floor with a nice perimeter catch-and-shoot jumper. Thomas is also fond of attacking closeouts, drawing attention from the defense, then distributing to his teammates for an open look. Several times, I saw Thomas sky for rebounds and push the pace in transition. One play in particular ended in a perfectly placed lob pass to his Riverside Hawks teammate for the intense slam. Thomas brings attitude, grit, intensity, playmaking ability, and offensive efficiency to the court – an excellent piece to add to any roster. Maybe the best part of Thomas’s game is his passing ability. Last year in the Overtime Elite league, Thomas racked up several games with ten or more assists. Watching Thomas, his passing skills were easily identifiable. Being able to look cross-court and deliver passes on time, on target, is a skill that every collegiate point guard needs, and Thomas does it better than most. Thomas’s ability to impact the game in so many different ways is what makes him the highly regarded and highly recruited player he is.

Recently, Thomas updated his recruitment; the four-star guard is down to three schools: Providence, Saint Louis, and Seton Hall. Thomas will visit the Billikens of Saint Louis on July 31st. Making his decision in a month or so, Thomas will be a high-profile commitment in the class of 2026.