Dedan Thomas Jr. is officially an LSU Tiger.
And for UNLV—and for Josh Pastner—this one cuts deep.
15.6 points per game. 4.7 assists. 35% from three.
Started every game as a freshman.
Led like a vet. Played with poise. Repped Vegas the way only a hometown kid can.
Now he’s off to Baton Rouge. And LSU coach Matt McMahon isn’t hiding his excitement:
“We are thrilled to welcome Dedan Thomas Jr. to Baton Rouge. Dedan is a creative and skilled point guard who makes everyone around him better. We love his ability to orchestrate the offense…”
They’re not wrong. LSU just landed a future pro. A pure floor general who ran UNLV’s offense with maturity well beyond his years.
Dedan didn’t leave because of fit.
He left because the system is built to let him go.
LSU brought NIL. SEC exposure. A chance to grow outside his hometown.
UNLV couldn’t match it. And now, we’re left without our leader.
This is the new reality for college hoops:
You don’t just have to recruit talent—you have to retain it.
And right now, UNLV isn’t built to do that.
This isn’t just a roster move—it’s a reset.
Dedan was the anchor. The builder. The bridge between what UNLV once was and what it hopes to be again.
And now that bridge is gone.
Josh Pastner’s rebuild just got a whole lot harder.
To Dedan:
Thank you for choosing Vegas. For staying home. For doing it the right way. You gave this program hope again, even for a short time.
Go chase greatness. Show them what we saw up close.
Once a Rebel, always a Rebel.
