LSU’s Dedan Thomas to Miss Remainder of Season After Foot Surgery
LSU will be without its floor general for the rest of the season. Point guard Dedan Thomas Jr. is set to undergo season-ending foot surgery next week, the program announced Saturday.
The junior transfer from UNLV first injured his left foot on January 2, just one day before LSU’s SEC opener. After missing several games, Thomas returned to action but reaggravated the injury during a January 28 matchup against Mississippi State. Now, after trying to play through the pain, the Tigers’ top playmaker is shutting it down to focus on recovery.
Before the injury derailed his season, Thomas was putting together one of the most efficient and dynamic campaigns in the SEC. He averaged a team-best 16.2 points per game on a sharp 49.3% shooting clip, while leading the conference in assists with 7.1 per outing.
Even more impressive? He was only turning the ball over 1.8 times per game - a testament to his poise, vision, and control of the offense.
“Since arriving on campus and earning his captain’s role, DJ has been a great teammate and a relentless competitor,” LSU head coach Matt McMahon said in a statement. “He makes everyone in our program better.
I admire the toughness and fight DJ has shown since suffering his foot injury. He has done everything in his power to work through the pain and get back on the court.
I’m disappointed for DJ that his season has come to an end. We look forward to supporting him through his recovery.”
Thomas missed the Tigers’ first five SEC games while recovering from the initial injury. He returned for three contests before the foot issue flared up again. His best performance in conference play came in an 85-81 loss at Arkansas, where he posted 18 points and dished out five assists - a reminder of the offensive spark he brings when healthy.
His final full game came in LSU’s last nonconference outing, a 90-62 win over Southern Miss. Thomas was electric, scoring 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting, handing out 12 assists, and committing just two turnovers in 35 minutes. It was a masterclass in efficiency and pace control - the kind of game that showcased why he was leading the SEC in both assists and assist-to-turnover ratio before falling off the leaderboard due to the 75% participation threshold.
Across 16 games this season, Thomas averaged 15.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 6.5 assists. His assist-to-turnover ratio sat at a pristine 4.0, with 104 assists to just 26 turnovers - elite numbers for any point guard, let alone one adjusting to a new system in his first year with the program.
For LSU, the loss of Thomas is a major blow to a team already searching for consistency in SEC play. The Tigers (14-10, 2-9 SEC) were set to face Tennessee (16-7, 6-4) on Saturday evening at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, and they’ll now have to navigate the rest of the season without their primary ball-handler and offensive engine.
Thomas becomes the second LSU player to suffer a season-ending injury this year. Redshirt junior forward Jalen Reed went down with a torn left Achilles tendon earlier in the season - a tough break for a player who was averaging 11 points on 60.6% shooting and pulling down six rebounds per game. Reed had already missed the entire previous season after tearing his right ACL in the eighth game.
With both Thomas and Reed sidelined, LSU’s depth and leadership take a significant hit. But if there’s a silver lining, it’s that both players have already shown resilience in the face of adversity. And for Thomas, who’s earned the respect of teammates and coaches alike, the focus now shifts to recovery - and what promises to be a strong return down the road.