GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
The NCAA Transfer Portal window being open during the NCAA Tournament is a ridiculous rule that punishes teams who make an NCAA Tournament run. The window opened on Monday, March 24 – the second week of the tournament just as the Sweet 16 entries were all completed the previous day.
So, maybe Florida coach Todd Golden and his staff, who reached the Final Four that starts Saturday, and Kentucky coach Mark Pope and his coaches, who reached the Sweet 16, were not able to focus on portal recruiting as much over the last few weeks as they would have liked to … say in the off-season!
But LSU coach Matt McMahon and his staff, whose team did not reach the NCAA Tournament after finishing 3-15 in the Southeastern Conference, had plenty of time. And LSU has landed one of top players in the portal – UNLV sophomore point guard Dedan Thomas Jr., according to a report by On3.com’s Joe Tipton. Thomas, who is the No. 3 point guard in the portal, chose LSU over Florida, Kentucky and Syracuse.
NEWS: UNLV transfer Dedan Thomas Jr., one of the top guards in the portal, has committed to LSU, he told @On3sports.
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) April 1, 2025
The 6-1 sophomore chose the Tigers over Kentucky, Florida, and Syracuse. Averaged 15.6 PTS and 4.7 AST per game this season.https://t.co/kbE45H7AVS pic.twitter.com/XZFUqjK17R
Thomas (6-foot-1, 185 pounds) averaged 15.6 points and 4.7 assists a game while shooting 35 percent from 3-point range (24 of 68) through 26 games and 26 starts for UNLV (18-15, 11-9 Mountain West Conference) last season. His coach, Keven Kruger, was fired after the season on March 15 and replaced by former Memphis and Georgia Tech coach Josh Pastner last week.
The No. 8 point guard in the nation in 2023 out of Liberty High in Henderson, Nevada, Thomas signed with UNLV as the No. 34 overall player in the country and a four-star prospect. His father, Dedan Thomas Sr., was a point guard at UNLV from 1991-94.
Thomas had a spectacular season in 2023-24, averaging a team-high 13.4 points a game and 5.2 assists, which led all NCAA freshmen and was 39th in the nation among all players. He also led the Runnin’ Rebels in 3-point shooting percentage at .362 (34 of 94) while starting 34 games and averaging 34 minutes a game – most by any freshman in the nation. After the season, he was named the Mountain West Co-Freshman of the Year.
Dedan missed several games with a shoulder injury this past season and was unable to duplicate his freshman year. He will have two years of eligibility remaining at LSU.
LSU SIGNS STARTING CENTER FROM MISSISSIPPI STATE
Thomas is the second player McMahon has added since the portal opened a week ago. Earlier Monday, LSU confirmed previous reports of the signing of Mississippi State starting sophomore center Michael Nwoko.
Nwoko (6-10, 245 pounds) averaged 6.1 points and 4.6 rebounds last season through 32 starts for the Bulldogs, who reached the NCAA Tournament. Nwoko, who played at Miami as a freshman, will be a junior at LSU.
MATT MCMAHON TOLD YOU HE WAS “FIRED UP” ABOUT THE PORTAL LAST WEEK
“We are very excited to welcome Michael Nwoko to the LSU Basketball program,” McMahon said in an LSU release. “He is an athletic and versatile forward who plays with a physicality and toughness. Michael will provide a presence finishing plays, scoring in the post, rebounding the ball at a high level and shot blocking ability. We look forward to his arrival on campus this summer.”
Nwoko will join returning starting 6-10 junior forward Jalen Reed, who missed all but eight games of last season with a knee injury.
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