UCLA’s former starting backcourt is moving cross-country.
Former Bruin Donovan Dent announced Friday on Instagram that he will transfer to LSU after spending his senior season in Westwood. Dent initially entered the transfer portal July 31 with a “do not contact” tag after receiving an additional year of NCAA eligibility following a ruling from Colorado federal Judge Charlotte Sweeney that gave athletes from the recruiting class of 2022 an extra season.
[Related: Formerly retired UCLA men’s basketball guard Donovan Dent enters transfer portal]
Dent was part of a group of 25 other NCAA athletes, alongside former UCLA guard Skyy Clark – another LSU transfer – that filed a lawsuit in California against the NCAA to obtain an extra year of eligibility through the 2026-27 season.
Now, Dent joins Clark – who announced his transfer Aug. 12 – in Baton Rouge, teaming up for a second consecutive season.
[Related: Former UCLA guard Skyy Clark transfers to LSU after eligibility ruling]
Dent previously announced his retirement from professional basketball in late May. The Riverside local said he would focus on a career as a basketball trainer in New Mexico – where he played collegiate ball for three seasons prior to his transfer to Los Angeles – after failing to receive an invite to the 2026 NBA Draft Combine.
Despite a slight down year with the Bruins – posting a career-low 40.8% field goal clip – he helped guide UCLA to a 24-12 record, a Big Ten tournament semifinal appearance and an NCAA tournament first-round victory. Nonetheless, Dent was still one of the country’s best playmakers, posting the nation’s fourth-most assists per game with 7.6, alongside 13.3 points and 2.9 rebounds per game.
Dent and Clark will now reunite under LSU head coach Will Wade, who returns to the Tigers after previously helming the squad from 2017 to 2022.
The Tigers’ official roster currently includes four players – all of whom are upperclassmen. Wade has largely turned to older, more experienced names – many of whom have professional experience – to fill out his remaining roster spots, taking advantage of the NCAA’s recent eligibility rules that automatically give individuals five seasons of competition.
The former Bruin tandem now has the opportunity to reprise its starting roles together in Louisiana.
