Donovan Dent, the reigning Mountain West Player of the Year, jumped into the transfer portal. What are the UCLA Bruins’ chances of landing him?
Donovan Dent Hits Portal: Could He Land With the Bruins?
In the fast-changing landscape of college athletics, you never truly know where a player will play from one year to the next. Dent left Albuquerque in the hopes of playing for a contender. While he remains without a current home, rumors swirl that UCLA is the likely destination.
Now, any team would welcome a guard that scored 20 points a game on 49% shooting. Moreover, connecting on 40.9% of his 3-point attempts. Meanwhile, on defense, fast hands, and faster feat make the former Lobo an entire nuisance to deal with. He will pester the ballhandler by taking sharp angles, forcing them to either pass quicker or turn the ball over.
Dent calls Riverside, Calif., home. While at Centennial High, he led the school to a state title while cleaning up on local/state awards for player of the year. The four-star recruit chose the Lobos over California Baptist, Montana State, Long Beach State and California-Santa Barbara, he settled in the rotation.
While he only started two games as freshman, Dent’s role would immeasurably grow as a sophomore. His breakout moment arrived against Pepperdine, scoring 24 points and dishing out seven assists in a 90-71 victory on Nov. 24, 2023.
To his credit, the former UNM standout renovated his game and approach. First, his shooting became a bigger part of his career. Instead of constantly wanted to slash to the hoop, Dent gained confident in his jumper. Despite attempting more 3-pointers, he improved his percentage from 37.5% to 40.9%. As a result, opponents couldn’t sag begin the arc.
Now, despite the shooting, distributing, and quick hands-on defense, Dent must improve in one particular area. His 3.1 turnovers per game signify that he plays a little too carefree with the ball,l and you will see passes veer away from their intended targets. He needs to get a handle on this aspect in a hurry.
With so much at stake in 2025-26, including draft position, turnovers will sink his stock like a stone, and no amount of scoring would make teams forget.
Does UCLA Make Sense?
Mick Cronin’s Bruins need a point guard who can take some of the scoring burden. In 2024, UCLA’s scoring centered around forwards Tyler Bilodeau and Eric Dailey. Meanwhile, their guards did little to help.
Starting guards Skyy Clark and Dylan Andrews combined for just 15.5 points and six assists per game. While decent players, the duo doesn’t exactly strike fear into the hearts of opponents.
In addition, Dent grew up roughly an hour away from the UCLA campus, so the lure of home could be an added bonus. Plus, UCLA’s legacy of point guards still carries weight. From Tyus Edney to Baron Davis to Russell Westbrook to Lonzo Ball, the recent stream of Bruin leaders remains strong.
Then again, Dent did leave home to attend New Mexico in the first place. Under those circumstances, a trip home may bit entice him as much as we’d think.
KEEP READING: Creighton Basketball Transfer Portal — Full List of Players Entering and Exiting
Dent followed head coach Richard Pitino out of town. Now, teams could line up and throw buckets of money at him in order to lure him to campus. It all depends on what Dent chooses as his priority.
If playing close to home matters, Mick Cronin would gladly take him. Furthermore, he would make the Bruins a serious threat in the Big Ten, giving the California schools inroads into taking their new conference.
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