‘He’s stayed grounded’: UNLV freshman guard exuding maturity, poise

It can be easy to forget Dedan Thomas Jr. wasn’t supposed to be on this stage yet.

Thomas, the point guard prodigy and son of a former UNLV standout, could’ve returned to high school. He reclassified to forgo his senior year at Liberty, where he led the Patriots to consecutive Class 5A state championship game appearances and a state title in 2022.

Since donning the scarlet and gray uniforms of UNLV, however, Thomas has demonstrated a maturity on the court few players ever achieve, much less a floor general who celebrated his 18th birthday just a month before the season.

“He’s stayed grounded,” said UNLV coach Kevin Kruger. “His dad, mom, younger sister makes sure he works, makes sure he stays in the gym, stays humble, and I think that’s why he’s had a good start and has the opportunity to have a great career.”

Thomas’ composed performance against No. 8 Creighton in UNLV’s 79-64 upset win was the best of his young career. While the Boone twins, Kalib and Keylan, stole the spotlight in terms of scoring and impact, Thomas was the metronome that conducted the UNLV offense.

UNLV (4-4) returns to action at 4 p.m. Saturday against Saint Mary’s (5-5) in the Jerry Colangelo Classic in Phoenix.

“I’m just taking it all in, absorbing all the knowledge (my coaches and teammates) give me,” Thomas said.

He scored 16 points on 7-of-15 shooting and handed out nine assists, tying his career high. He also added six rebounds, a steal and two crucial 3s that helped the Rebels establish their first-half lead. Thomas was plus-14, second-best on the team behind fifth-year guard Justin Webster, while playing a team-high 37 minutes.

Most impressively, in Kruger’s eyes, Thomas had zero turnovers. It’s the third time this season he hasn’t given the ball away in a game despite heavy minutes and being UNLV’s primary offensive initiator.

Thomas’ poised performance against Creighton was even more impressive in the context of the season. A hand injury kept him out of UNLV’s preseason training camp and scrimmages, and he only returned to practice two days before making his college debut in UNLV’s 85-71 loss to Southern on Nov. 8.

In the game before beating the Bluejays, Thomas missed a potential game-winning shot in UNLV’s 78-75 loss to Loyola Marymount on Dec. 9, his floater barely scraping the front of the rim.

Thomas credited fifth-year wing Keylan Boone for helping him stay confident entering the Creighton game.

“He was talking to me on the bus after the game, telling me to keep my head up,” Thomas said.

Thomas’ outing against the Bluejays showed off several facets of his game. He facilitated well, as UNLV called a heavy dose of pick-and-rolls for Thomas and fifth-year forward Kalib Boone. The 6-foot-1-inch Thomas also held up at the point of attack. He admitted defense has been his biggest focus since joining UNLV, and credited the advice his veteran teammates gave him for his improvements.

He also flashed some previously unseen athleticism, exploding above the rim and coming within a fingertip’s length of dunking on Creighton’s 7-1 senior center Ryan Kalkbrenner, the two-time reigning Big East Defensive Player of the Year, for what Thomas called “a weird layup” with four minutes remaining in the game.

“I didn’t really know how high I was until I was up there,” Thomas said.

Kruger said Thomas didn’t give himself enough credit for the play, which he read perfectly to attack Kalkbrenner at the rim. Yet deferring individual recognition in favor of team success has been another early trademark for Thomas, who said he has already moved on from the upset.

“We’re focused on Saint Mary’s,” Thomas said. “It’s going to be a good game. It’s going to be a tough game for us, a good test for us, so we’re looking to go win a ballgame.”

Contact reporter Andy Yamashita at ayamashita@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ANYamashita on X.