UNLV star guard misses practice, status for season unclear

UNLV basketball star Dedan Thomas Jr. missed Friday’s practice and was wearing a shoulder brace as he watched from the Thomas & Mack Center sideline.

Coach Kevin Kruger would not say whether Thomas, the Rebels’ leading scorer, would miss Saturday’s home game against Colorado State (17-9, 11-4 Mountain West) or any beyond that. UNLV (14-12, 8-7) has five games left in the regular season.

The sophomore point guard is averaging 15.6 points and 4.7 assists this season.

When asked if Thomas would be back this season, Kruger said, “We expect everyone to be back.”

The comment was a reference to senior forward Rob Whaley Jr. and transfer guard Jace Whiting, who have barely played or practiced all season due to injuries.

“We’ve got a couple guys that are day to day, we’ve got a couple guys that are just being held out for precautionary measures. I mean, we kind of cover every end of the spectrum,” Kruger said.

Kruger did not provide any specifics about Thomas’ status, other than saying he was “banging into people” during the Rebels’ 52-51 win at Fresno State on Feb. 15.

“Just like a couple other guys, (he’s) banged up and pulled out of certain contact portions of practice,” Kruger said. “And (we’re) just kind of seeing how they’re feeling.”

When asked about a report that said Thomas is out indefinitely, Kruger provided another unclear answer.

“I mean, indefinitely, right? That’s an hour, that’s the day, that’s two days, that’s two months,” he said.

Team policy is to not make injured players available to the media, and UNLV did not make Thomas available after practice.

If Thomas does not take the court against Colorado State, it would be the first time an injury has sidelined him in his basketball career, a streak that spans back to his days at Liberty High School.

‘Next guy up’

It’s unclear who would start in Thomas’ place, but Kruger said it’s a familiar position for the team.

“That’s kind of what it’s been this year, right?” he said. “I mean, Rob’s (Whaley) out. Jaden (Henley) was out, (Jeremiah ‘Bear’ Cherry) was out. It’s a group that you do what you’re asked to do as best your possibilities and capabilities. And we, as a staff, try to prepare as best we can for all scenarios. … That’s usually an opportunity for somebody to step in and kind of fill that role.”

Guards Jailen Bedford and Brooklyn Hicks have provided a spark off the bench this season and are likely to see increased minutes if Thomas can’t play.

For Hicks, practicing without Thomas didn’t take much adjusting.

“We still need his voice. I let him know, ‘If you’re on the court or not, I still need to hear you. And teammates need to hear you too,’” Hicks said. “So it really hasn’t made a difference yet, but as a team, we’re going to still continue to be us.”

Junior forward Henley, the Rebels’ second-leading scorer at 11.5 points per game, was confident in the team’s outlook, with or without Thomas.

“Hopefully he can play. But if he can’t, it’s next guy up really,” he said. “We just have to be ready to take on any pressure they bring toward us. I think we should be good.”

In the teams’ first meeting this season, UNLV lost 84-62 at Colorado State on Jan. 11.

Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.