"U deserve it all": McDonald's All-American Meleek Thomas hypes up R.J. Sledge's clutch moment at senior night game 

Arkansas signee and McDonald's All-American Meleek Thomas was hyped about Imani Christian High School's R.J. Sledge. Sledge sunk the game-winner in the 76-74 overtime victory over No. 2 Central Catholic on Thursday, converting a step-back three with an inbound pass with just three seconds left on the clock on his senior night.

The highlight of the shot was posted by a photographer who goes by the IG username tr35ive_visuals. Meleek Thomas shared the post to his Instagram story with a six-word reaction:

"Young goat u deserve it all 🩸," Thomas captioned the story.

McDonald's All-American Meleek Thomas hypes up R.J. Sledge's clutch moment at senior night game (Image: IG/meleek.thomas)

Check out Sledge's shot below:

Sledge finished the match with a team-high 29 points while Central Catholic's Enzo Khalil recorded a game-high 37 points in a game that saw both teams gain and lose a double-digit lead.

Sledge has played 67 matches for Imani Christian High School and is averaging 13.9 points, 5.2 assists, 3.4 rebounds, 4.2 steals and 0.1 blocks per contest. This season has been his best offensively as the Pittsburgh, PA native has played 18 matches and is averaging 21.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 4.6 apg, 4.8 spg and 0.1 bpg.

In his junior year, Sledge scored 10.2 points, grabbed 3.1 rebounds, dished out 5.4 assists and stole the ball 3.6 times per contest across 23 games.

On the other hand, Arkansas signee Meleek Thomas averaged a double-double for the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School with 23.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 3.3 steals per game. In the 2024-25 OTE season, Thomas posted averages of 27.7 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 4.4 apg, and 1.7 spg.

Meleek Thomas talked about his game with the Pittsburgh Union and claimed that it is his defensive abilities that separate him from other players:

"I take pride in defense. The more you get into the season, the harder the games become."

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Why did Meleek Thomas choose Arkansas?

The No. 11 recruit in the 2025 Class received 26 offers from top programs including Kentucky, Pittsburgh, Auburn, Kansas State and North Carolina, among others. However, he chose John Calipari's side on Nov. 11.

He talked about his decision with On3:

“When I was making my college decision, I wanted to make sure that everything was a fit from play style and how they will use me on the team but also that it felt like home to me and my family,” said Thomas.

"Family is so important to me – and with Coach Cal [John Calipari] and the team at Arkansas, I felt at home. I am going to spend my senior season at OTE, just developing and continuing to be the best player I can so I can make an impact in Fayetteville right away.”

Meleek Thomas will be joined by Darius Acuff and Isaiah Sealy at the Razorbacks next year.