Ex-New Mexico guard Donovan Dent ready to shine at UCLA as one of college basketball’s top transfers
UCLA guard Donovan Dent embraces the responsibility that comes with playing for one of college basketball’s most storied programs.
“It’s an honor just having the four letters in front of you,” the former New Mexico guard told reporters. “It’s a very historical program. The point guard position has been very elite here. It’s a blessing for me.”
Once Dent entered the transfer portal, he didn’t need much persuading to pick UCLA.
He already had a relationship with UCLA coach Mick Cronin from high school. He enjoyed watching former Bruins point guard Lonzo Ball while growing up in Riverside, California. UCLA’s campus is a relatively short drive from his family’s home.
Dent now wants to build on the success he enjoyed last season while 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 had 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 before losing to Michigan State.
Dent can team up with Louisville transfer Skyy Clark to give UCLA a speedy new backcourt. They combined for 31 points this month in the 12th-ranked Bruins’ 67-60 exhibition victory over San Diego State. Dent went 4 of 16 in that game, but he continually drew fouls and made all 10 of his free throws to end up with 18 points.
“To have a guy who knows that if he is struggling to score, let me just get fouled and go make a one-and-one, that is so big in a college game, for him and Skyy to do that,” Cronin said.
Cronin noted the 6-2 guard will need to be able to pressure the ball 94 feet and serve as a defensive sparkplug to have a successful NBA career.
“When (Cronin) called me, he knew exactly what he wanted,” Dent said. “He wanted to play faster because that’s how his defense is. His defense creates faster offense. So he felt like I could fit right into that system. He just needed someone he could trust with the ball in their hand. I felt like that’s what I could bring to the table.”
Some other potential impact transfers (former schools in parentheses):
Creighton F Owen Freeman (Iowa)
Freeman, who is 6-10, was averaging 16.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.8 blocks through 19 games with Iowa before a broken finger ended his 2024-25 season early. He scored in double figures in each of those 19 games. Freeman had 10.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game in 2023-24 and became Iowa’s first Big Ten freshman of the year since Jess Settles in 1994. Freeman was a first-team preseason all-Big East pick.
Tennessee G Ja’Kobi Gillespie (Maryland)
Gillespie had 14.7 points, 4.8 assists and 1.9 steals per game and shot 40.7% from 3-point range last season. He had 17 points in an NCAA regional semifinal loss to eventual national champion Florida. That followed 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 along with Florida’s Boogie Fland, another transfer (Arkansas).
Kansas State G 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 each of the last two seasons. The 6-4 guard scored 21.7 points per game for Memphis last season to rank third in Division I. Haggerty also was an AP All-America second-team selection that season. He scored 21.2 points per game for Tulsa in 2023-24. Kansas State is Haggerty’s fourth school.
Michigan F Yaxel Lendeborg (UAB)
Lendeborg was a first-team selection on the AP preseason All-America team. The 6-9 graduate student averaged a double-double each of the last two seasons (17.7 points, 11.4 rebounds). A year earlier, Lendeborg had 13.8 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game while helping UAB reach the NCAA Tournament. He was a first-team all-American Conference player and the league’s defensive player of the year for two straight seasons.
Iowa G Bennett Stirtz (Drake)
Stirtz, a preseason all-Big Ten selection, 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. Now he’s at Iowa, which hired McCollum in the offseason. Stirtz was the first player in Missouri Valley Conference history to compile at least 600 points, 200 assists and 70 steals in a season. He led the conference in scoring (19.2), steals (2.21) and assist-turnover ratio (2.86) and ranked second in assists (5.7). Stirtz scored 21 points in each of Drake’s two NCAA Tournament games – – a 67-57 victory over Missouri and a 77-64 loss to Texas Tech.
NC State F Darrion Williams (Texas Tech)
Williams comes to NC State after collecting 15.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game last season to earn first-team all-Big 12 honors. He averaged 21 points in four NCAA Tournament games and scored at least 20 in each of Texas Tech’s last three March Madness contests, including a 23-point effort in a regional final against Florida. The 6-6 forward is a preseason all-Atlantic Coast Conference selection.
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