Hill: UNLV basketball star’s loyalty rare, admirable in money-grab era

A question about UNLV’s basketball team has been asked of me by several people around the college hoops world that I have tried to answer mostly with informed speculation.

So when I had a chance to spend a few minutes with Dedan Thomas Jr. last week, I asked him the question.

Why is he still playing for UNLV this season after a sensational freshman campaign?

It’s a cold reality in the world of college athletics. Players who have that kind of freshman campaign, especially at a nonpower school, are going to have money and offers and promises thrown at them within minutes of their season coming to an end. Probably sooner.

Sometimes, kids even seek paydays during the season. Not that UNLV’s football team could tell you about that.

‘Just the right fit’

Several big-name coaches have tried to sound the alarm bells, including Virginia coach Tony Bennett, who retired in his prime last week with a warning that all the poaching and agents and negotiations have made the sport ugly. While I don’t agree with Bennett to that extent, there is zero question college sports have become more transactional than ever.

This isn’t a complaint. My love for the sport hasn’t changed, and I am an unabashed supporter of student-athletes getting a sizable share of the pie. For some, this represents their best and even only chance to cash in — and they should.

It’s just the reality. And that’s why it’s so surprising to so many people when a player has the kind of freshman year Thomas did at UNLV and decides to stay put when he was being pulled in so many directions with so many promises of ways to cash in.

So, again, why did he?

“A lot of people wonder why I chose UNLV in the first place, and everyone asks me about NIL and the money and all of that,” Thomas said. “I don’t really care about that stuff. I just feel like the coaching staff, since the first day they started recruiting me, always had my best interest at heart. They have constantly looked to put me in positions to succeed.

“I just always felt comfortable, and that it’s just the right fit for me. They trusted me to put the ball in my hands right away, and they just rocked with me. That’s all I can ask for.”

Make no mistake. Thomas got paid to come to UNLV, and some deals were done to make sure he got a better deal to stay around this year. But it’s also a fact he is leaving money on the table to try to do something special at his hometown school and the program his dad was such a major part of three decades ago.

Coach Kevin Kruger is glad he is, though he might be less surprised than most people that his star point guard is back. Kruger, like nearly every coach, tries to be active in the portal. He’s not shy about pursuing big-name players who can make an immediate impact. But as he starts to get more established at UNLV, he is looking more and more at the benefits of roster stability.

“We’ve put a huge emphasis on retention,” Kruger said. “It’s guys being in programs two or three years that are actually more consistent. Returners and doing it a more traditional way is how we want to do it.”

Building a legacy

He believes there is still a place for good, old-fashioned recruiting. Where you build relationships with a kid’s family and maintain them through his collegiate career.

Yet, he still knew there was a chance Thomas could be lured away.

“Worried? I’m not sure. Did it cross my brain? Of course,” Kruger said. “But at the same time, with him specifically, being a local and a legacy, we know he judges himself on wins and losses. He’s not going to judge himself at the end of the day by the name of the program he played for or the amount of money he made in NIL. It’s going to be about the legacy he left, and it’s important for him to be remembered in Las Vegas.”

Thomas, who has added 10 pounds of muscle this year after realizing he needed to be stronger to get through the rigors of a season, wants to restore UNLV to a prominent place in the college basketball world.

“Especially being born and raised here,” he said. “Growing up watching basketball and going to UNLV games. I went to games when the (Thomas & Mack Center) was packed out and loud. I remember screaming with all the other fans. It was so loud and exciting. … We’re trying to get back.”

Tough to put a price tag on the chance to accomplish something like that.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.