Houston adds guard who averaged 15.3 PPG in transfer portal

Houston basketball took the first major step in addressing its disastrous Sweet 16 loss to Illinois Saturday. Plus also likely found the replacement for Kingston Flemings via the College Basketball Transfer Portal. Highly-coveted transfer Dedan Thomas Jr. is heading to the Cougars.

The now former UNLV and LSU star point guard shut down his portal process, which he confirmed to Joe Tipton of On3/Rivals. Head coach Kelvin Sampson gains an experienced scoring PG to work with. Especially with Sampson choosing to return for one more season.

Flemings played his last college game in the March Madness loss to the Illini. He’s garnering top five NBA Draft attention before the June event. Sampson revealed Flemings’ intentions to test the draft waters Thursday.

Thomas rises as a major step toward replacing the five-star guard.

The 6-foot-1 Thomas exploded onto the CBB scene with UNLV, averaging 13.6 and 15.6 points per game in two seasons at Las Vegas. He eventually sharpened his game in landing at LSU, delivering 15.3 PPG facing Southeastern Conference talent. However, Thomas played just 16 games with 15 starts due to a foot injury.

He bolted for the portal after LSU decided to re-hire Will Wade as Tigers head coach. Thomas looked bound to attract powerhouses like St. John’s, Tennessee and Iowa as all three are desiring a Final Four run.

UH still presents high expectations on the hardwood. Houston one year ago came close to winning the national title but fell to Florida. The Cougars then lost to a Illinoi team that eventually played in the round of four. The arrival of Thomas heightens expectations plus energizes UH fans.

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