By R.L. Bynum
Former LSU commitment Kevin Thomas, a four-star wing, has committed to North Carolina.
The 6–7 Thomas, who visited Chapel Hill on Tuesday, was the high school teammate during the 2024–25 season at Sagemont Prep in Weston, Fla., of UNC transfer commitment Matt Able. They won the Florida Class 1A state title that season.
He is the fourth member of the Tar Heels’ Class of 2026, joining center Sayon Keita, forward Maximo Adams and guard Malloy Smith. Thomas’ agent is former UNC reserve KJ Smith, Malloy’s brother and son of former UNC star Kenny Smith.
Thomas has a combination of size and athletic tools.
“I like to playmake a lot, give my teammates the right plays, give them the right shots,” Thomas told Zagsblog last summer. “I’m trying to get to that two-way level, be a defender also.”
Thomas pointed to defense as the part of his profile he wants coaches to trust.
“I know it’s more intense on the higher level, in college, so I got to be ready to take that next big step,” Thomas said.
When Thomas signed with LSU in November, former LSU coach Matt McMahon described him as a modern perimeter player.
“Kevin Thomas is an athletic 6–7 wing who will bring perimeter scoring and explosiveness to our program,” McMahon said, adding that Thomas has the “ability to shoot the three and attack the basket off the bounce.”
The other schools he considered when he picked LSU were Auburn, Florida State and Miami.
Thomas has put up production that matches the “wing who impacts multiple categories” label. He averaged 17.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.3 steals per game in his junior season at Sagemont Prep. Last season at Monteverde Academy, he averaged 15.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.1 steals and nearly a half-block per game over 20 games, along with 60 3-pointers.
Thomas will compete May 21–23 in Colorado Springs, Colo., for a spot on the U.S. team for the FIBA U18 Men’s AmeriCup in León, Mexico, June 1–5. He’ll be one of 35 players competing for 12 spots.
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| No. | Class | Player | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | Freshman | Maximo Adams | SF | 6–7 | 205 |
| 30 | Freshman | Malloy Smith | CG | 6–5 | 190 |
| 21 | Freshman | Sayon Keita | C | 7–0 | 215 |
| 5 | Freshman | Kevin Thomas | W | 6–7 | 190 |
| 35 | Sophomore | Cade Bennerman — U | C | 7–0 | 205 |
| 17 | Sophomore | Neoklis Avdalas — W | G | 6–9 | 215 |
| 2 | Sophomore | Isaiah Denis | G | 6–4 | 180 |
| 3 | Sophomore | Matt Able — X | G | 6–5 | 196 |
| 22 | Junior | Alexandros Samodurov | C | 6–11 | 212 |
| 1 | Senior | Terrence Brown — Y | G | 6–3 | 174 |
| 4 | Senior | Jaydon Young | G | 6–4 | 200 |
| 15 | Senior | Jarin Stevenson | F | 6–10 | 215 |
| 14 | Graduate | Angelo Brizzi — Z | G | 6–3 | 193 |
| 54 | Graduate | Cameron Fens — V | C | 7–0 | 255 |
| Walk-ons | |||||
| 99 | Junior | John Holbrook — SA | F | 6–8 | 230 |
| 32 | Senior | Evan Smith | G | 6–1 | 195 |
V — South Dakota transfer; U — Northwestern transfer; W — Virginia Tech transfer; X — N.C. State transfer; Y — Utah transfer; Z — Buffalo transfer; SA — Holbrook is a designated student-athlete, so he doesn’t count against UNC’s 15-player limit.
Michael Malone’s coaching staff: Chuck Martin, Bryan Tibaldi, Sean May, Jorge Sanz, and Pat Sullivan; Deon Thompson will be a graduate assistant, and Brandon Robinson will reportedly have a support staff position.
Players who entered transfer portal
| Player | Class next season | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt | Next school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luka Bogavac | Senior | W | 6–6 | 215 | Oklahoma State |
| James Brown | Senior | C | 6–10 | 240 | Howard |
| Derek Dixon | Sophomore | G | 6–5 | 200 | Arizona |
| Kyan Evans | Senior | G | 6–2 | 175 | Minnesota |
| Zayden High | Junior | C | 6–10 | 230 | South Florida |
| Jonathan Powell | Junior | G | 6–6 | 190 | Pittsburgh |
| Ivan Matlekovic | Junior | C | 7–0 | 255 | Pacific |
Non-conference schedule
| Date | Month/day | Opponent/event (final ranks) |
|---|---|---|
| October | Exhibitions | |
| 9 | 7 p.m. Friday | vs. USC in Greensboro |
| 18 | 5 p.m. Sunday | vs. Indiana in Indianapolis |
| 27 | Tuesday | vs. Charlotte |
| November | Regular season | |
| 2 | Monday | vs. Western Carolina |
| 6 | Friday | vs. Wofford |
| 10 | Tuesday | vs. Wyoming |
| 13 | Friday | vs. Georgia |
| 20 | Friday | vs. Marshall |
| 23 | Monday | vs. Monmouth |
| 27 | Friday | Dick Vitale Invitational vs. West Virginia in Charlotte |
| December | ||
| 1 | Tuesday | ACC/SEC Challenge vs. No. 13 Arkansas |
| 6 | Sunday | vs. Butler |
| 12 | Saturday | at Georgetown |
| 15 | Tuesday | Tobacco Road Classic vs. N.C. State in Greensboro |
| 19 | 2:30 Saturday, CBS | CBS Sports Classic vs. Kentucky in New York |
| 21 | Monday | vs. The Citadel |
| January | ||
| 30 | Saturday | Nashville Hoops Showdown vs. No. 5 Illinois in Nashville, Tenn. |
ACC opponents
Home and away: Duke and Louisville
Home only: California, Georgia Tech, Miami, N.C. State, SMU, Stanford and Virginia
Away only: Boston College, Florida State, Notre Dame, Pitt, Syracuse, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest
Don’t play: Clemson
Photo via lsusports.com
