UCLA has successfully acquired Donovan Dent, a highly sought-after guard from the University of New Mexico, via the transfer portal. Dent revealed his decision to join the Bruins on his Instagram account, just a few days after officially entering the transfer portal.
In a separate development, RJ Luis Jr. from St. John’s is making moves toward professional basketball by declaring for the NBA draft. He plans to maintain his college eligibility by entering the transfer portal simultaneously, according to reports. Meanwhile, ESPN has also reported that Kansas player Flory Bidunga is prepared to join the transfer market.
Dent, a 6-foot-2 guard, was named the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year following an impressive season where he averaged 20.4 points and 6.5 assists per game. With his addition, UCLA aims to fill the void left by Dylan Andrews, another talent who decided to explore his options in the transfer portal. Dent spent three seasons playing under Richard Pitino, who has since taken the helm at Xavier and previously led the Lobos to consecutive NCAA tournament berths.
On the East Coast, RJ Luis proved his prowess by securing the status of Big East Player of the Year. The 6-foot-7 forward excelled with averages of 18.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game and was acknowledged as the most outstanding player during the Big East Tournament. Despite his strong performance, St. John’s faced a 75-66 setback against Arkansas in the tournament’s second round, a game where Luis struggled, shooting 3 for 17 and scoring nine points over 30 minutes. He was substituted out by Coach Rick Pitino during a critical point in the game and did not re-enter.
As for Kansas, Bidunga, standing at 6-foot-9, contributed significantly as a bench player, averaging 5.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks. His performance provided valuable support behind All-American Hunter Dickinson.
In the ever-dynamic world of college basketball, these transfers highlight the strategic decisions players and teams make as they prepare for the next steps in their careers under the spotlight of the NCAA.