Point guard play for the Houston Cougars has been at a high level during the coach Kelvin Sampson era and has featured a line of successful floor generals that now extends to senior Dedan Thomas Jr. this season.

Kingston Flemings was the starting point guard for the Cougars last season and paired up with Milos Uzan, who led Houston to the national championship game in 2025. Houston featured two point guards on the same roster who are both now playing professionally.

Houston's biggest need in the offseason was to get a starter at that position. The Cougars were able to acquire Thomas from LSU, whom Sampson and his staff initially recruited out of high school.

Thomas adds a more attacking style and gets to the rim, while having the potential to develop and turn into a reliable leader for the team. He's now been named to this prestigious watch list.

A Big Year Expected for Dedan Thomas Jr.

Thomas Jr. was named to the Naismith Starting 5 – Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Top 20 Preseason Watch List earlier this week.

This award is given to the top point guard in the country and is presented by the Basketball Hall of Fame. Thomas showcased some of his potential during the exhibition game win against Michigan on Sunday with 25 points, seven assists, three rebounds and two steals. He was eight out of 14 from the field and was also nine out of 11 from the free-throw line.

He was the leading scorer in the game, and his ability to find a way to get to the basket can be valuable for the Cougars. Thomas is the only point guard from a Texas school on the list and just one of two Big 12 point guards, joining Robert Wright III of BYU.

Even as a transfer, for Thomas' name to be on the top 20 watchlist is a big deal.

"DJ just fit. He can do a lot of things. The thing that I've always liked about him is his efficiency. I think he only took nine shots against Ole Miss (scrimmage) but was our leading scorer. He's highly efficient. He's always been that way," Sampson said. "Not the fastest, not the most athletic, but he knows how to run our system."

Thomas Jr. played in 16 games (15 starts) last season for LSU and averaged 15.3 points and 6.5 assists per game with a 4.0 assist-to-turnover ratio. He had to miss the rest of the season due to foot surgery.

"The first half of games, our head coach is our point guard cause he's going away from us. He's on the other end of the floor," Sampson said.

The performance and development of Thomas will be a big indicator of how far Houston can go.