UNLV’s Dedan Thomas Jr. Misses Practice, Status Uncertain

UNLV star guard Dedan Thomas Jr. missed practice on Friday, raising concerns about his availability for the remainder of the season. The sophomore point guard, who leads the Rebels with 15.6 points and 4.7 assists per game, was seen wearing a shoulder brace while watching from the sideline at the Thomas & Mack Center, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Head coach Kevin Kruger remained vague when addressing Thomas' status, declining to confirm whether he would miss Saturday’s home game against Colorado State (17-9, 11-4 Mountain West) or any future contests. With UNLV (14-12, 8-7 MW) fighting for positioning in the final five games of the regular season, the uncertainty surrounding their top scorer is a significant concern.

Kruger’s response when asked about Thomas’ return was cryptic:
“We expect everyone to be back.”

This statement was in reference to other injured Rebels, including Rob Whaley Jr. and Jace Whiting, both of whom have seen limited action this season due to injuries. Kruger also suggested that Thomas, like several teammates, was being held out for precautionary reasons, adding that players are at various points on the injury spectrum.

Thomas suffered the apparent injury during UNLV’s 52-51 win at Fresno State on Feb. 15, with Kruger acknowledging that he had been “banging into people” throughout the game. However, he refused to give specifics on Thomas’ condition, saying only that he had been pulled from contact drills in practice.

When pressed about reports that Thomas is out indefinitely, Kruger once again gave an unclear response, leaving Rebel fans and analysts guessing about the team’s best player’s availability for the crucial stretch run.

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