Dedan Thomas injury update: LSU star's status revealed vs. Tennessee
LSU guard Dedan Thomas Jr. will not play against Tennessee on Saturday, per CBS Sports‘ Jon Rothstein. Thomas has missed LSU’s last three games due to a foot injury.
Thomas has missed eight total games for the Tigers this season. When Thomas has been on the court, he’s been stellar.
He averages a team-high 15.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game, while shooting 45.9% from the field and 30.2% from beyond the arc. In Thomas’ last appearance, he recorded 14 points in LSU’s 80-66 loss to Mississippi State on Jan. 28.
LSU is on a two-game losing streak, most recently falling 91-62 to Arkansas. The Tigers’ season has been far from what they envisioned. They are 14-10 overall, with a lackluster 2-9 mark in conference play.
LSU is in its fourth season under head coach Matt McMahon. The team finished SEC play with a 3-15 record last season. After LSU’s loss to Arkansas on Tuesday, McMahon discussed his team’s struggles.
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“I think when you’re in coaching, it’s a lot of fun when you’re 12-1 at new year’s as we were and everything seems to be rolling smooth,” McMahon said. “But this is also a part of coaching. And so working to keep our players connected, stick together.
“While we’re disappointed in the results, find ways to get better, come back to practice and move on to the next most important thing, which is preparing for our game on Saturday. And that’s the only way I know to do it. Just to have a laser focus on those things, helping our players navigate these challenging times from a basketball standpoint.”
If LSU’s downward spiral continues and the school opts to fire Matt McMahon, it will owe him 80% of his remaining salary, per his contract. While McMahon’s base salary is only $400,000 — a relatively small number compared to some other SEC coaches — his supplementary income would be included in the buyout.
Although Dedan Thomas Jr. won’t be on the hardwood, LSU will aim to end its losing streak when it squares off against Tennessee tomorrow at 5 p.m. CT. The game will air live on the SEC Network.