LSU Basketball Signs Star Guard Dedan Thomas Jr., To Roster For 2025-26 Season
by Staff Reporter
April 1, 202514 Comments
Candice Ward-Imagn Images
BATON ROUGE – The LSU Tigers continued to add on to its roster for the 2025-26 basketball season with the addition of UNLV guard Dedan Thomas Jr.
His scholarship papers were approved by the LSU Athletics Department late Monday evening.
Thomas, 6-1, was named the Mountain West Co-Freshman of the Year in the 2023-24 season and was a Mountain West third team and NABC All-Mountain District Second Team selection for the 2024-25 season.
He led the Runnin’ Rebels in scoring and assists this season with 15.6 points per game (ninth in the Mountain West) and 4.7 assists per game (third in the Mountain West). He shot 41.3 percent from the field (10th in MW), while making 35 percent of his three-pointers. He had an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.5 (3rd in the MW) and played an average of 35.8 minutes per contest (2nd in MW).
Thomas Jr., started each of the 26 games he appeared in for UNLV this past season, scoring in double figures in 22 games. He had 20 or more points in five games and dished out five assists or more in 16 games.
Thomas Jr. was ranked No. 4 overall in the transfer portal by 247sports.com. He was ranked ninth by ESPN.com.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dedan Thomas Jr., to Baton Rouge,” said LSU men’s basketball head coach Matt McMahon. “Dedan is a creative and skilled point guard who makes everyone around him better. We love his ability to orchestrate the offense, get into the paint off the bounce, and shoot the ball from behind the 3-point arc. His vision on the court, unselfishness, and ability to throw the lob pass are fun to watch. I am really excited about his passion for player development and the opportunity to play at LSU. We cannot wait for his arrival on campus this summer.”
The five-star recruit is the son of UNLV player Dedan Thomas Sr., who played on some of the Runnin’ Rebels programs in the early 1990s. He was an honorable mention All-America selection and his name is featured throughout the UNLV record books.
As a freshman, Thomas Jr., also led the team in scoring at 13.6 points per game, 5.2 assists and 36.2 percent from distance, starting all 34 of UNLV’s games. His 174 assists set the MW record for most assists in a season by a freshman and the NCAA in assists among freshmen. He was the only freshman to rank in the top 50 in assists in 2023-24. He was also first in the country in minutes played among freshmen (34:53) and had the fourth best assist/turnover ratio among freshmen (2.32).
A 2023 graduate of Liberty High School in Henderson, Nevada, he was ranked as the 22nd-best prospect in the class by 247 Sports and one of the best prep point guards in the nation. He averaged 22.8 points and 5.1 assists per game in the 2022-23 season, leading the Patriots to the state championship final for a second straight year.
Thomas joins Mississippi State forward Michael Nwoko, who signed with LSU out of the transfer portal on Monday.
(Release via LSU Athletics)
His scholarship papers were approved by the LSU Athletics Department late Monday evening.
Thomas, 6-1, was named the Mountain West Co-Freshman of the Year in the 2023-24 season and was a Mountain West third team and NABC All-Mountain District Second Team selection for the 2024-25 season.
He led the Runnin’ Rebels in scoring and assists this season with 15.6 points per game (ninth in the Mountain West) and 4.7 assists per game (third in the Mountain West). He shot 41.3 percent from the field (10th in MW), while making 35 percent of his three-pointers. He had an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.5 (3rd in the MW) and played an average of 35.8 minutes per contest (2nd in MW).
Thomas Jr., started each of the 26 games he appeared in for UNLV this past season, scoring in double figures in 22 games. He had 20 or more points in five games and dished out five assists or more in 16 games.
Thomas Jr. was ranked No. 4 overall in the transfer portal by 247sports.com. He was ranked ninth by ESPN.com.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dedan Thomas Jr., to Baton Rouge,” said LSU men’s basketball head coach Matt McMahon. “Dedan is a creative and skilled point guard who makes everyone around him better. We love his ability to orchestrate the offense, get into the paint off the bounce, and shoot the ball from behind the 3-point arc. His vision on the court, unselfishness, and ability to throw the lob pass are fun to watch. I am really excited about his passion for player development and the opportunity to play at LSU. We cannot wait for his arrival on campus this summer.”
The five-star recruit is the son of UNLV player Dedan Thomas Sr., who played on some of the Runnin’ Rebels programs in the early 1990s. He was an honorable mention All-America selection and his name is featured throughout the UNLV record books.
As a freshman, Thomas Jr., also led the team in scoring at 13.6 points per game, 5.2 assists and 36.2 percent from distance, starting all 34 of UNLV’s games. His 174 assists set the MW record for most assists in a season by a freshman and the NCAA in assists among freshmen. He was the only freshman to rank in the top 50 in assists in 2023-24. He was also first in the country in minutes played among freshmen (34:53) and had the fourth best assist/turnover ratio among freshmen (2.32).
A 2023 graduate of Liberty High School in Henderson, Nevada, he was ranked as the 22nd-best prospect in the class by 247 Sports and one of the best prep point guards in the nation. He averaged 22.8 points and 5.1 assists per game in the 2022-23 season, leading the Patriots to the state championship final for a second straight year.
Thomas joins Mississippi State forward Michael Nwoko, who signed with LSU out of the transfer portal on Monday.
(Release via LSU Athletics)
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Originally published on TigerDroppings.com
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