Bearcats Day Day Thomas (1) leaps and scores during Game 1 of the 2025 Phillips 66 Big 12 Basketball Championship against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri on Tuesday March 11, 2025. Bearcats lead the game at halftime with a score of 38-26. Phil Didion/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

UC Star Guard Day Day Thomas And More Returning For 2025-26 Season

Originally posted on Cincinnati Bearcats on SI
By Russell Heltman | Last updated Apr 23, 2025 7:02 AM ET

Day Day Thomas, Tyler McKinley and Halvine Dzellat are returning to Cincinnati basketball for another season. It's official after none of the trio entered the transfer portal prior to its closing on Tuesday night.

Thomas led Cincinnati in three-point shooting this past season (40.1% on 3.5 attempts per game) and will be back in the guard rotation mix alongside Jizzle James, Kerr Kriisa, and Keyshuan Tillery.

Thomas posted that great outside shot to go with 10.7 points and 1.8 steals per game (eighth in the Big 12). He is a massive returning piece for Cincinnati with his combined experience alongside James as a consistent pillar in Wes Miller's backcourt.

The 6-foot, 185-pound South Carolina native could get an additional year at UC in 2026-27 if the JuCo eligibility ruling holds up into next offseason as well.

Meanwhile, Dzellat saw some extended run in the final few weeks of the campaign to build off of this summer. He could be a solid depth piece in the forward rotation next season along with McKinley, who did not play as a four-star freshman after suffering a knee injury last summer.