UCLA guard Donovan Dent accepts the responsibility that comes with playing for one of college basketball's most storied programs.
“I’m honored to have four letters in front of me,” the former New Mexico guard told reporters. “This is a very historic program. The point guard position here was very elite. It's a blessing for me.”
Once Dent entered the transfer portal, he didn't need much convincing to choose UCLA.
He already had a relationship with UCLA coach Mick Cronin since high school. He enjoyed watching former Bruins point guard Lonzo Ball while growing up in Riverside, California. The UCLA campus is a relatively short drive from his family's home.
Now Dent is looking to build on the success he had last season in leading New Mexico to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The 2025 Mountain West Conference Player of the Year enters this season as one of the most notable transfers.
He averaged 20.4 points and 6.4 assists per game last season. Dent averaged 17.5 points and 6 assists in two NCAA Tournament games as New Mexico defeated Marquette and then lost to Michigan State.
Dent could team with Louisville transfer Sky Clark to give UCLA a new speedy backcourt. They combined for 31 points in the Bruins' 67-60 exhibition win over 12th-ranked San Diego State this month. Dent shot 4 of 16 in that game, but fouled constantly and made all 10 of his free throws for a total of 18 points.
“To have a guy who knows that if he's struggling to score, let me just foul and go make it one-on-one, which is so important in the college game for him and Sky to do that,” Cronin said.
Cronin noted that to have a successful NBA career, the 6-2 guard will need to put pressure on the ball 94 feet and serve as a defensive spark plug.
“When (Cronin) called me, he knew exactly what he wanted,” Dent said. “He wanted to play faster because that's what his defense is. His defense creates a faster offense. So he felt like I could fit into that system perfectly. He just needed someone he could trust with the ball in his hand. I felt like that's what I could bring to the table.”
Some other potential transfers (former schools in parentheses):
Creighton F. Owen Freeman (Iowa)
The 6-10 Freeman averaged 16.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 19 games for Iowa before a broken finger ended his 2024-25 season early. He scored in double figures in each of those 19 games. Freeman averaged 10.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game in 2023–24 and became Iowa's first Big Ten Rookie of the Year since Jess Settles in 1994. Freeman was selected to the All-Big East Preseason First Team.
Tennessee J Ja'Coby Gillespie (Maryland)
Last season, Gillespie averaged 14.7 points, 4.8 assists and 1.9 steals per game and made 40.7 percent of his 3-point attempts. He scored 17 points in the NCAA regional semifinals in a loss to eventual national champion Florida. This follows a 2023-24 season in which the 6-foot-1 guard scored 17.2 points per game for Belmont. Gillespie was a preseason second-team all-Southeastern Conference player along with Florida's Boogie Fland, another transfer (Arkansas).
Kansas State J.P.J. Haggerty (Memphis)
Haggerty is the only active Division I player to average at least 21 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals in each of the last two seasons. The 6-4 guard scored 21.7 points per game for Memphis last season and finished third in Division I. Haggerty was also selected to the AP All-American second team that season. He averaged 21.2 points per game for Tulsa in 2023-24. Kansas State is Haggerty's fourth school.
Michigan Flyer Lenudeboard (UAB)
Lendeborg was selected to the AP preseason All-American team. The 6-9 graduate student averaged a double-double (17.7 points, 11.4 rebounds) in each of the last two seasons. The year before, Lendeborg averaged 13.8 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game, helping UAB reach the NCAA Tournament. He was a first-team All-American Conference player and the league's Defensive Player of the Year two seasons in a row.
Iowa J. Bennett Stirtz (Drake)
A preseason All-Big Ten selection, Stirtz began his college career playing for Ben McCollum at Division II program Northwest Missouri State. He followed McCollum to Drake and helped the Bulldogs reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament. He's now with Iowa, which hired McCollum in the offseason. Stirtz was the first player in Missouri Valley Conference history to record at least 600 points, 200 assists and 70 steals in a season. He led the conference in scoring (19.2), steals (2.21) and run rate (2.86) and ranked second in assists (5.7). Stirtz scored 21 points in each of Drake's two games in the NCAA Tournament – a 67-57 win over Missouri and a 77-64 loss to Texas Tech.
North Carolina State player Darrion Williams (Texas Tech)
Williams comes to NC State after posting 15.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game last season and earning first-team Big 12 honors. He averaged 21 points in four NCAA Tournament games and scored at least 20 points in each of Texas Tech's last three March Madness contests, including a 23-point effort in the regional final against Florida. The 6-6 forward is a preseason All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection.
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