Malcolm Thomas finds a new home with the Flyers
The University of Dayton men’s basketball team has landed a notable addition: Malcolm Thomas, the son of former NBA forward/center Etan Thomas, is transferring from Villanova to Dayton, as announced by his father on Facebook.
Thomas joins a Flyers program competing in the Atlantic 10 Conference and led by head coach Anthony Grant. According to Etan Thomas, Grant made a powerful impression during the recruitment process.
“Coach Anthony Grant was exactly what my wife Nichole and I had been praying for when it came to finding the right coach for Malcolm,” Etan wrote. “We weren’t in a rush—we had interest from several programs and planned to take our time. But after visiting Dayton, everything just clicked. The coaching staff felt authentic, not like they were selling a pitch. It was a genuine connection right away.”
Malcolm, a 6-foot-8 forward from DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland, spent his freshman year at Villanova but didn’t see any playing time. Villanova recently dismissed head coach Kyle Neptune after three seasons and a 54–47 record, which included no NCAA Tournament appearances. The school has since hired former Maryland head coach Kevin Willard.
Amid that transition, Malcolm entered the transfer portal on April 16 with all four years of eligibility remaining and committed to Dayton just over a week later, on April 24.
Grant, who has led Dayton since 2017, has developed talent like current Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin. That’s part of what attracted the Thomases to the program.
“They didn’t make any promises,” Etan said. “But their offensive system is built for players like Malcolm. They explained how they see him developing in a similar way to Obi Toppin, and how much they’d value his skill set.”
During his junior year at DeMatha, Malcolm averaged 11.6 points and 4.7 blocks per game, drawing attention from numerous Division I programs.
“Dayton wasn’t originally on our radar,” Etan added, “but now we’re thrilled to be part of this program and excited for whatever God has planned next.”
Leave a Reply