UNLV Lands Hometown Hero

UNLV finally landed a prize high school recruit. Liberty junior Dedan Thomas to the Rebels on Mother's day over other members of his top six, including Arizona, Gonzaga, Houston and UCLA. Florida reportedly made a strong, late run but Thomas stuck with the hometown team.

The 6-1 point guard from Henderson, Nevada, is a class of 2024 player at Liberty High School, but is reportedly considering skipping his senior season and joining the Rebels next season. Last season he averaged 22.8 points per game and 5.1 assists while guiding Liberty to a Nevada State title game appearance.

The commitment is a major victory for Kruger and the Rebels. Not only is Thomas the highest rated high school player to commit to the Rebels in the past several seasons, he fills an immediate void at the most important spot on the floor. The lefty is a pure point guard, a sore spot for the Rebels since the last time they made an appearance in the NCAA tournament. And there are no ifs, ands, or buts about it, whenever Thomas lands on campus, he will be the immediate starter.

Given the last two lackluster seasons, the Rebels needed a complete overhaul and Thomas is a central part of that. The Rebels, once again, will be many new faces - but this time, at least on paper, the Rebels have upped the overall level of talent and depth.

Could the 2023-2024 season be the one where the Rebels finally break back into the NCAA tournament?