VERMILLION, S.D. — South Dakota men's basketball's head coach Eric Peterson has announced the addition of transfer KJ Thomas to the 2026-27 roster. The 6'1 guard transfers to South Dakota after spending the first two years of his career at UTEP and has two years of eligibility left.

The Amarillo, Texas native appeared in 31 games with 24 starts in his sophomore season. He averaged 5.8 points, 3.0 assists and 2.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals for the Miners while shooting 39.1% from the field. Thomas poured in a career high 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting against Liberty while knocking down a pair of 3-pointers and four double-digit scoring performances. He dished out four or more assists in 12 games, including a season-high seven in 20 minutes of action against UT Permian Basin. As a freshman, Thomas played in 28 games off the bench and scored a season high 12 points on a perfect 4-of-4 from the floor against LA Tech. 

A three-star prospect (247 Sports) out of Canyon Randall High School and was the fourth ranked point guard in Texas, No. 26 rated player in the state and the No. 40 point guard nationally. Thomas averaged 22.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 5.6 per game in 2023 and led his team to the Class 4A Final Four. He was also named the Co-MVP of 4-4A and was an All-Region and All-State selection. The Amarillo Globe-News named him their Player of the Year after his junior season and set a new program record of 50 points in a single game. 
 

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