For the third weekend in a row, the women's basketball team will be hosting one of the top high school players in the nation, as Mel Thomas makes her official visit to campus.
As a junior at Mt. Notre Dame high school in Cincinnati, Ohio, Thomas averaged 20 points and seven rebounds per game, and she was named a Street & Smith All-America honorable mention in 2002 and 2003.
"Mel is a great shooter and hard-nosed player who has a real passion for the game," said recruiting guru Bret McCormick of the All-Star Girls Report, who has Thomas rated No. 22 in the nation. "I liken her to [former Connecticut star] Shea Ralph with her toughness and determination. Duke always has a practice player of the day, and she's the type of person who would win it every day like Alana [Beard] does now."
Thomas, who competed at the elite USA Basketball Youth Development Festival last summer, played an AAU tournament at Duke several years ago, but she is excited about the chance to visit the campus this time as a potential future Blue Devil.
"Duke has a great basketball program, and I love the coaches," Thomas said. "It's also a great school academically, and academics will definitely be a pig part of my decision."
The 5-foot-8 shooting guard was an adidas Top Ten Camp Underclass All-Star in 2002 and participated at the Nike All-America Camp in 2003.
The sharp-shooting skills that she displayed in the national spotlight and at Mt. Notre Dame have made her the target of many of the nation's top college programs. Defending national champion Connecticut is hoping to nab Thomas, as it has been turned down by all five of its other recruits so far this year.
However, the Huskies will have to compete with the Blue Devils and in-state options Ohio State and Cincinnati.
"My family is definitely important, but I'd be okay going away [from Ohio], Thomas said. "It's just going to come down to where I feel most comfortable."
Duke has had tremendous success in recent years recruiting in Ohio, as current freshmen Alison Bales and Brittany Hunter both hail from the buckeye state. If the Blue Devils can land Thomas, she will join Laura Kurz and Chante Black in the class of 2008.
"If Duke can get her, they'd be pretty lucky," McCormick said. "I think she's a great player who's very unselfish and would fit right in there."
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