The offseason is officially underway for the LSU Basketball team as the Tigers season came to an end when LSU turned down a bid into the NIT Invitational. This is going to be a pivotal offseason for Matt McMahon and the LSU Basketball program as the Tigers are going to pour NIL resources into the program looking to build a team that can compete but, Matt McMahon will need to pick the right pieces.
This week as team's seasons have come to a close, players will start to announce their intentions to enter the transfer portal ahead of its official opening on March 24th. On Monday, a star entered the transfer portal and his name should be on Matt McMahon's radar as UNLV Point Guard Dedan Thomas Jr entered the portal.
UNLV point guard Dedan Thomas will enter the transfer portal, per @DraftExpress.
— Travis Branham (@TravisBranham_) March 17, 2025
Big addition to the portal. Dynamic playmaker and scorer. pic.twitter.com/JLo5L8vcmQ
This season at UNLV, Dedan Thomas Jr averaged 15.6 points per game, 2.0 rebounds per game, and 4.7 assists per game while shooting 41.3% from the field and 35.3% from three. Thomas' ability as a scorer along with the fact that he'll be a Junior next season will make him one of the most sought after players because of the fact that he could be a two year player for any program.
Dedan Thomas Jr enters the transfer portal as UNLV fired its Head Coach Kevin Kruger who was able to recruit Thomas to UNLV.
This offseason, LSU loses its starting point guard Jordan Sears who's out of eligibility and its leading scorer Cam Carter as well as other veteran pieces. The void at point guard and the need for a top tier scorer makes Thomas a perfect fit for LSU. The stat that stands out with Thomas is that he turned the ball over just 1.9 times per gams which is attractive after a season filled with turnover struggles.
The transfer portal doesn't officially open until March 24th so the Tigers can't reach out yet, but keep an eye on Thomas as he could be a top target for some of the biggest programs in the country.