The UCLA Bruins secured a terrific recruit in Donovan Dent, one of the best guards in college basketball. After three years in New Mexico, where he went from averaging 5.6 points to 20.4 per game, Dent entered the transfer portal and Mick Cronin and Co. made sure they secured his services for his senior year.
Dent is expected to elevate the Bruins’ game, as some think they could make a deep run in the 2026 NCAA tournament if everything goes according to plan. As his numbers show, he went from bad to excellent, raising the expectations about his first season with a storied program.
The Bruins advanced to the second round of the 2025 NCAA tournament before the Tennessee Volunteers ended their run with a 67-58 win. They are eager to bounce back next campaign, hoping that Dent can take them to the next level.
Mick Cronin explained how UCLA landed Donovan Dent
In an interview with 247Sports, Mick Cronin discussed the recruiting process to land Dent. He explained that being close to people who were close to Dent gave him an advantage over other schools.
UCLA Head Basketball Coach Mick Cronin
“Fortunately, we recruited other guys on his high school team and multiple guys throughout the years… My six years here, I’ve become good friends with Josh Giles (Dent’s high school coach) and Shannin Sharpe (former point guard at Dent’s school – now Colorado assistant coach). People that are close with Donnie, as well as his teammates here, Eric Freeny… we have many guys that have played throughout the years from Centennial High School. Once Donnie hit the portal, if we could afford him, we were probably going to get him. We already had the relationships, we’re the home school… I think probably the biggest thing he wanted to know was who else we were going to add with him. It wasn’t just about the money. He wanted to win,” he explained.
UCLA looks like one of the most intriguing teams ahead of the new season, and this pickup will certainly make them a must-watch team..
