Kentucky men’s basketball took its second transfer portal loss of the day as point guard Dedan Thomas Jr. of UNLV committed to LSU.
NBA Draft analyst Jonathan Givony first reported the news on social media after a report from Thomas’ agent, while CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein soon confirmed the report with word from Thomas’ father.
Thomas Jr. was one of the hottest prospects in the transfer portal, immediately garnering attention from Kentucky, which is looking to replace veteran point guard Lamont Butler and backup Kerr Kriisa, who announced his intentions to transfer on Monday morning.
Standing at 6-foot-1, the point guard from Las Vegas averaged 15.6 points, two rebounds and 4.7 assists per night for the Rebels this past season. He also shot 41.3% from the field and was a member of the Mountain West All-Conference team.
Thomas Jr. had confirmed to KSR’s Jacob Polacheck confirming that UK Head Coach Mark Pope and Assistant Coach Jason Hart had both been in contact with the sophomore.
Thomas was the second highly-touted point guard Kentucky has missed on during the 2025 portal season, with New Mexico’s Donovan Dent also choosing to play for Mick Cronin at UCLA in his home state of California while the Cats were on the court battling Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen.
Instead of Lexington, Thomas Jr. will head to Baton Rouge to join Head Coach Matt McMahon and a Tigers squad that, after being one of just two SEC teams not to make the 2025 NCAA Tournament, is looking to increase its NIL support for the basketball team and get back to competing in conference.
Ranked as the No. 8 transfer in the portal by On3 Sports, the loss will be one that stings for Pope and his staff as it continues to look to build its 2025-26 roster.
At this point, Kentucky has only secured one commitment, Tulane’s Kam Williams, while it is expected to retain a few key pieces from last year’s roster. The Cats also have a loaded incoming freshmen class with Malachi Moreno, Jasper Johnson and Acaden Lewis, with Nate Ament still yet to make his collegiate decision.
