UCLA made a tremendous splash when it landed one of the top players in the transfer portal, former New Mexico guard Donovan Dent, shortly after its elimination from the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Dent comes off an excellent season with the Lobos, having won the Mountain West Player of the Year Award. He led the conference in scoring with 20.4 points per game and also averaged 6.4 assists. He helped lead New Mexico to a Mountain West regular season title and the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Bruins lost Dylan Andrews, who would ultimately transfer to Boise State, needed a point guard, and got probably the best one it could with Dent.
CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein believes Dent’s addition will do wonders for the Bruins.
“I don’t want to disparage anybody who played point guard for UCLA, but UCLA, since it lost Tyler Campbell a couple of years ago after a memorable run where the Bruins went to a Final Four and three straight Sweet 16s, had not adequately replaced Cambell at the most position on the floor,” Rothstein said last week.
“Donovan Dent is going to raise the ceiling big time in Westwood. Donovan Dent is the type of player that will make UCLA, again, a top-five or 10 team, in my opinion, to start next season and elevate everything. Remember this: The Bruins, last year, with really no consistent point guard play, won 23 games, went to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, and did not have a consistent option at point guard.
Donovan Dent had 224 assists last season at New Mexico.
No player on UCLA’s roster had more than 109.
The All-American guard immediately changes the ceiling in Westwood. pic.twitter.com/PUaJkel2gF
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) May 1, 2025
“They have Donovan Dent right now, who was [averaging] 20 points and six assists at New Mexico. Now, you’re looking at a UCLA team under Mick Cronin that, obviously, is going to have Donovan Dent and Skyy Clark in the backcourt, Eric Dailey and Tyler Bilodeau at the 3, 4, and then, Xavier Booker from Michigan State at the 5.
” … UCLA, again, a team that should be significantly better because of the upgrade it made at point guard by landing New Mexico transfer Donovan Dent.”
If Rothstein is right, UCLA could be in store for a special 2025-26 season.
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