Breaking: LSU PG Dedan Thomas Jr. out for remainder of season

LSU star point guard Dedan Thomas Jr. is set to have foot surgery next week and miss the remainder of the season, sources tell the Bengal Tiger On3. Thomas missed the first five games of SEC play with a foot injury and then returned for three games before seemingly re-injuring it against Mississippi State on Jan. 28. He missed the following games against South Carolina, Georgia, and Arkansas.

Thomas’ injury has been a massive blow to LSU’s SEC campaign, as the Tigers now sit at 2-9 in the league with Thomas playing a total of 76 minutes. He ends the season averaging 15.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, and just 1.6 turnovers on a career best 45.9 percent shooting from the field. He had a standout game against SMU with 16 points, 12 assists, and 2 turnovers and even in his final game against Mississippi State had 14 points, 4 assists and zero turnovers.

He was the engine for everything LSU does offensively, ranking top ten in the country in assist rate and holding the highest offensive rating on the team.

“Since arriving on campus and earning his captain’s role, DJ has been a great teammate and a relentless competitor,” said Coach McMahon. “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.”

Without Thomas, we’ve seen extreme inconsistencies from this Tigers roster as they try to find their roles on the court. LSU is currently 14-8 on the season with nine conference games remaining.

LSU also lost forward Jalen Reed after just six games this season as Reed tore his achilles just a year after tearing his ACL. A season that started with promise quickly turned sour as injuries have stacked up yet again in Matt McMahon’s fourth season at the helm.

Without Thomas, LSU looks to freshman Jalen Reece and seniors Rashad King and Max Mackinnon to elevate LSU’s backcourt for the remainder of the season.

Stay tuned as we continue to cover what’s ahead for the basketball programs at LSU.