Cassidy's Takeaways: Pangos enters second day of action
LAS VEGAS – Day two of the 2024 Pangos All-American Camp unfolded in the desert on Monday, as prospects from coast to coast showcased their skills for scouts, reporters and NBA personnel.
Rivals.com's Rob Cassidy was on hand for the day that was in Nevada and shares some of his takeaways below.
More from Las Vegas: Pangos tips off with star-studded roster | Gabe Weis interview | Meleek Thomas interview | Eric Reibe | Joshua Lewis | Courtland Muldrew | Marcis Ponder | Jalen Reece
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2024 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2025 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team
2026 Rankings: Top 100
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FIVE-STAR MELEEK THOMAS EYING VISITS AND AN OCTOBER DECISION
Five-star guard Meleek Thomas is as well-traveled as any prospect in the 2025 class. The in-demand point guard has already logged a long list of visits, both official and unofficial, and now seems to be ready to polish off his summer travel itinerary with two important trips.
“I haven’t totally finalized the dates yet, but after talking to my family and my teammates and stuff, I’m pretty sure June 19-21 will be UConn and June 25-27 will be Arkansas,” Thomas said on Monday.
The two upcoming official visits seem vital to the five-star’s process, as his long-standing relationship with new Razorback head coach John Calipari and UConn’s pitch and pedigree make both programs serious players in Thomas’ recruitment – a recruitment the five-star says he hopes to have wrapped up prior to his senior season.
“At first, I was going to commit on Aug. 6 because I wanted to commit on my birthday, but then coaching changes and stuff happened so I had to push it back,” Thomas said. “I probably have to take a visit in August so it’s going to be maybe September now, but definitely before my senior season.”
According to Thomas, Pitt, Auburn, Kansas, Miami and Indiana join UConn and Arkansas as serious players in his process and he remains in contact with Kansas State and Alabama.
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INDIANA MAKING HEADWAY WITH GABE WEIS
College coaches aren’t permitted to establish phone contact with 2026 wing Gabe Weis until June 15, but Indiana seems to already have made an impression by hosting the Kentucky native for multiple unofficial visits.
“I’ve already been there twice,” Weis said of IU on Monday. “I love that coaching staff. They’re really good people that are passionate about recruiting. Even on Mother’s Day, they were wishing my mom happy Mother’s Day and all that. I reach out to them a lot and they always respond. It’s cool.”
Weis grew up a Kentucky fan but says he won’t let his childhood allegiance determine the trajectory of his recruitment. That said, the 6-foot-7 forward is keeping one eye on the hometown school.
“I’m hoping to hear from coach (Mark) Pope here soon, and I hope that I’ll gain some more offers once June 15 comes around,” he said.
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BIG BEN AHMED IS MORE THAN A BRUISER
The 6-foot-10, 225-pound frame center Ben Ahmed boasts suggests certain things about his game and most of those things are true. The four-star big man is a certified load in the post that collects rebounds and second-chance points at an eye-popping clip, but he’s used the last two days at Pangos to showcase mid-range touch and even a decent long-range jumper he’ll confidently let fly and convert if given an open look.
Currently ranked as the No. 35 prospect in the Rivals150, he could see another slight bump when the list updates this month. The center is adding skill and finesse to his strength-based calling cards and is looking more and more like a day-one impact freshman. On Monday, he finished his first game of the night with 11 points and six rebounds in a camp game that saw playing time equally divided.