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Donovan Dent has had a change of heart, and the timing could not be more perfect for Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs.
The 6’2 playmaker, who was one of the best pure point guards in the entire country over the past three seasons – two at New Mexico and one at UCLA – announced his intention to retire from basketball a few months ago, wanting to focus on teaching the game at camps instead of chasing a professional job either overseas or in the NBA.
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But now, with a recent court ruling seemingly giving last year’s senior class a path to a fifth year of eligibility, Dent is getting himself back in the game.
“I just looked at it as another opportunity because I was completely done with it, and seeing that they made a fifth year possible and all of my coaches and my family were like,’ Let’s give it one more,'” Dent told Albuquerque news station KRQE on Tuesday. “They kind of talked to me about it, and I was like, okay. We just look at it like another opportunity for a blessing, I guess.”
The blessing could potentially be Gonzaga’s as well, following the recent news that projected starting point guard Mario Saint-Supery will return to Spain and play for Valencia on a multi-year contract.
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Will Dent come to Gonzaga?
Dent spent the first three seasons of his career at New Mexico, earning Mountain West Player of the Year honors in 2024-25 when he averaged 20.4 points, 6.4 assists, and 1.4 steals for the Lobos.
He then entered the transfer portal, where Gonzaga was a finalist for his services before he opted to return closer to home to play for Mick Cronin and the UCLA Bruins.
Dent was among the country’s best passers at UCLA, averaging a ridiculous 7.6 assists and 1.8 turnovers per game, but his scoring output plummeted in what was a challenging senior season for the star guard.
Now the opportunity to play another year in college gives Dent a chance to go out on a higher note – and there’s not a better fit for the elite playmaker than in Spokane with coach…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/donovan-dents-surprise-return-opens-200004268.html
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Publish date : 2026-07-14 20:00:00
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