UNLV star point guard D.J. Thomas did not practice on Friday and there is no timetable for his return.
The Scarlet and Gray host Colorado State on Saturday (7 p.m., CBS Sports Network).
Thomas, a 6-foot-1 sophomore, was dressed for Friday's session at the Thomas & Mack Center but did not participate in any live drills. Head coach Kevin Kruger would not elaborate on Thomas's injury but the sophomore wore a wrap on his right, non-shooting shoulder while observing practice.
Kruger said Thomas was hurt while "banging into people" during UNLV's win at Fresno State on Feb. 15.
"Banged up," Kruger said when asked about Thomas's status. "Held out of certain contact portions of practice. Just going to see how he's feeling."
Kruger would not say if Thomas will play against Colorado State. UNLV has five games remaining in the regular season, plus the Mountain West tournament.
Thomas has not missed a game in his college career, starting all 60 contests since he joined the program for the 2023-24 season. He played through an ankle injury in his freshman year and earlier this season he battled through a foot injury without missing any time.
Thomas is the driving force for UNLV, which is 14-12 on the year and 8-7 in Mountain West play. He leads the team in scoring at 15.6 points per game and assists with 4.7. He has made 41.3% from the field this season while shooting 35.3% from long distance.
When asked if he expects Thomas back this season, Kruger did sound a potentially positive note.
"Yeah," Kruger said. "We expect everybody back, really."
If Thomas is unable to play, expect reserve guards Jailen Bedford and Brooklyn Hicks to see an increase in playing time. Both profile as combo guards but possess enough ball-handling ability to run the offense in a part-time situation.
Hicks, a sophomore, said Thomas still has a key role on the team even if he's not suited up for games.
"We still need his voice," Hicks said. "I let him know, 'If you're on the court or not, I still need to hear you and your teammates need to hear you, too.'"
Junior forward Jaden Henley is another player who could see increased on-ball duty if Thomas is sidelined for any amount of time. The 6-foot-6 swingman is second on the team in scoring behind Thomas at 11.5 points per game.
Henley said he doesn't expect his own responsibilities to change much without Thomas besides being asked to bring the ball up court more often.
"Hopefully he can play," Henley said. "If he can't, it's next guy up, really."