Dedan Thomas Jr.’s first season with LSU is over. The Tigers announced Wednesday that the junior point guard will undergo surgery on his left foot, ending his 2025-26 campaign.

The injury traces back three years, according to his father, Dedan Thomas Sr., a former UNLV Rebel. “He took a bad step and woke up that scar tissue,” Thomas Sr. said. “It’s nothing major. They just need to go in there and clean up the scar tissue. He’ll be back in three months.”

Thomas missed LSU’s first five SEC games, then returned for three league contests. He scored a team-high 18 points against Arkansas before his last appearance on Jan. 28 against Mississippi State. For the season, he averaged 15.3 points, 6.5 assists and 2.7 rebounds, with 104 assists against just 26 turnovers.

“Since arriving on campus and earning his captain’s role, DJ has been a great teammate and a relentless competitor,” LSU coach Matt McMahon said in a statement. “He makes everyone in our program better. I admire the toughness and fight DJ has shown since suffering his foot injury.”

Thomas, a former Liberty High standout and one of the highest-rated recruits to sign with UNLV, played two seasons for the Rebels under Kevin Kruger. As a sophomore, he led UNLV in scoring (15.6 points) and assists (4.7) before missing the final seven games with a shoulder injury.

“He absolutely loves LSU,” Thomas Sr. said. “He loves the school. It’s just different. … He was playing very well. I’m just happy he found this place on his own. He’ll come back even hungrier next year.”

LSU enters the final stretch of the regular season at 14-12 overall and 2-11 in SEC play.