Dedan Thomas is a star in the making for UNLV 

UNLV coach Kevin Kruger has continuously found a way to bring talent into Las Vegas. When he started as UNLV’s head coach for the 2021-22 season, Kruger wasted no time attacking the transfer portal, bringing in 11 new transfers and completely changing the roster.

Kruger, now entering his fourth season at UNLV, has slowly begun to bring that number down, bringing in four new players from the transfer portal, a drastic difference from his first year.

It is no secret that the Runnin’ Rebs have targeted more local talent, looking in Las Vegas for some players who could impact UNLV.

The problem isn’t the lack of talent in Las Vegas, it’s the fact that teams can’t keep the talent in Las Vegas.

Insert Dedan “DJ” Thomas Jr., a Las Vegas native who attended Liberty High School in Henderson, Nevada. Thomas has ties to the UNLV brand as his father, Dedan Thomas Sr., played for one of Jerry Tarkanian’s final teams from 1991-94

 The five-star recruit ranked as the 22nd overall prospect for the 2024 class, coming into his senior year of high school averaging 22.8 points and coming off winning Nevada Gatorade Player of the Year. In his sophomore year of high school, Thomas led his team to the 5A state championship.

Thomas chose UNLV over offers from other big programs like Arizona, Gonzaga, Houston, Florida and UCLA, electing to stay home and build his own legacy. Thomas reclassified to join the Runnin’ Rebels a year early, starting his collegiate career last season.

“It’s very important to be my own person and player,” the now-sophomore guard said in an interview earlier this summer.

Fast forward and a Co-Mountain West Freshman of the Year accolade later, it’s safe to say that Thomas has forged into his own player and the leader of this season’s UNLV squad.

In his first season with the Runnin’ Rebels, Thomas averaged 13.6 points and 5.1 assists with the offense running through him. 

The Runnin’ Rebels started last year off strong, with a top-10 victory over No. 8 Creighton and then, a few weeks later, a solid win over New Mexico at home. They also had a solid road victory over Boise State to snap its 22-game home win streak. 

UNLV’s late-game blunder against No. 20 Utah State in a losing effort and a tough loss against Air Force was a wake-up call. After the difficult two-game stretch, the Runnin’ Rebels went on an impeccable run, winning the next 10 of 12 to propel into fourth place in the Mountain West Conference going into conference tournament week.

Over the final stretch of those games, Thomas was almost unstoppable, taking over on the road against New Mexico and hitting the game-winner against San Diego State.

While the Runnin’ Rebels’ questionable losses kept them out of the late NCAA Tournament talks in March, there was a case for them due to their quality wins.

UNLV participated in the NIT, marking the first time in nearly a decade the Runnin’ Rebels played in the postseason.

UNLV defeated Princeton on the road and Boston College at home to make it to the quarterfinals. The Runnin’ Rebels ultimately fell to Seton Hall, who went on to win the NIT.

With a year of experience, Thomas is notably more vocal and embracing the leadership position, as practice officially gets underway for this season. 

“I feel a lot more comfortable going into this year,” Thomas Jr. said after the team’s first practice Monday. “Having that year of experience, I can feel a very big difference from last year. I’m looking to build off of last year.”

Kruger had raved about Thomas’s growth over the offseason. 

“He got a little facial hair going, and he definitely got bigger. He got stronger,” said Kruger. “He’s prime for a big year, being strong is the most important. He’s always been strong, but he’s young.”

In addition to leading the team to the NCAA Tournament, the sophomore guard is set on being in the talks for Mountain West Player of the Year.  

Thomas’ performance will be key to UNLV’s success this season. The Runnin’ Rebels are trying to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013. Some strong non-conference opponents like Memphis, Creighton, Dayton, and Mississippi State are lined up, and victories against those opponents will boost their tournament resumes in March.