One of the Top Point Guards In Transfer Portal Commits to Houston
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The Houston Cougars have just landed their first big splash in the transfer portal. This is a key period for Houston to reload its squad for the 2026-27 season. The position that needed to be addressed was point guard.
It was the only hole in the starting lineup at the moment and Houston may have just found its answer. On Saturday afternoon, LSU transfer point guard Dedan Thomas Jr. committed to Houston according to 247Sports.
NEWS: LSU transfer Dedan Thomas Jr. has committed to Houston, a source tells @247Sports.
— Travis Branham (@TravisBranham_) April 11, 2026
One of the top point guards and playmakers in the portal. https://t.co/qFHtwIKALC pic.twitter.com/1QymxohDDf
Thomas Jr. will be entering his senior season with the Cougars and gives the program an experienced ball-handler to run the offense. He was one of the top point guards available in the portal, ranked fourth overall according to 247Sports.
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The 6-foot-1, 178 pound point guard was also the 15th ranked player overall in this year's portal. Thomas Jr. looks to be a big get for this program, and he will likely pair up with Mercy Miller in Houston's new look back court.
Thomas Jr. transferred to LSU last season after two years at UNLV. He averaged 15.3 points, 6.5 assists, and 2.7 rebounds per game last year as a Tiger and shot 46 percent from the field. Thomas Jr. The 20-year-old also averaged 83% from the free throw line, close to one steal and just over one turnover per game as well.
His 3-point shooting will be interesting to watch at Houston. Thomas Jr. took a significant dip in his shooting percentage from beyond the arc. He was at just 30 percent last year but shot around 36 percent at UNLV during his freshman and sophomore season.
Thomas Jr. is also from Las Vegas like Houston's former senior point guard Milos Uzan. The two share a hometown and Houston will look to develop Thomas Jr.'s 3-point shot the way it did with Uzan.
Uzan was at 29.6 percent from three in his sophomore season at Oklahoma, but jumped all the way to 43 percent in 2024-25.
Thomas Jr. was a four-star recruit out of high school and was ranked the No. 1 player in Nevada and the 34th ranked player overall in the country.
He doesn't take a lot of threes at just around two per game, but can be a great scorer and does an excellent job of getting to the free throw line. Thomas Jr. averages close to five attempts per game at the line.
Thomas Jr. is coming off an injury riddled season at Baton Rouge where he suffered a left foot injury on Jan. 2 right before conference play and reaggravated the injury later in the month and underwent season-ending surgery on that foot. He and Houston will look for a fresh start with him leading the offense in Fertitta Center in 2026-27.
Maanav Gupta is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He graduated from the University of Houston in the summer of 2025 with his bachelor’s in journalism and a minor in Spanish. Gupta spent three years at the student newspaper, The Daily Cougar, and also covered the 2025 Final Four and National Championship as Houston beat writer for College Basketball Review. He also has his own YouTube channel, Maanav’s Sports Talk, where he has interviewed professional athletes and broadcasters like Jim Nantz, Jose Altuve, J.J. Watt, Rich Eisen, and Alperen Sengun. Gupta was also a contributor to the Houston athletic program as a student. You can find Gupta on X, Instagram and TikTok @MGSportsTalk.