Gonzaga loses top point guard target Donovan Dent to LSU

A Reunion in Baton Rouge

Donovan Dent, one of the most sought-after point guards in the transfer portal, announced his commitment to LSU on Friday, following former UCLA teammate Skyy Clark. The news, shared on social media, marks the second major addition to LSU's backcourt as coach Will Wade rebuilds for the 2026-27 season.

Clark had announced his commitment to LSU on Aug. 12, and both players are eligible for a fifth year of college basketball through a temporary restraining order granted in California as part of an age-based lawsuit against the NCAA. Newsweek reported that Dent and Clark were among a group of 25 athletes who filed the lawsuit, though Sports Illustrated noted they were two of 73 plaintiffs in the same action. The discrepancy in the group's size has not been clarified.

Dent and Clark played one season together at UCLA, reaching the Big Ten tournament semifinals and the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

A Change of Heart

Dent's arrival in Baton Rouge comes after a year that nearly saw him leave the sport entirely. After UCLA's NCAA tournament exit, Dent announced his retirement from basketball, per Newsweek. He later said in May that he would become a youth basketball personal trainer in New Mexico rather than pursue professional opportunities, a direction his decision to return has since reversed.

Sports Illustrated reported that Dent changed his mind about retiring after the wave of multi-plaintiff eligibility lawsuits emerged, leading to his eligibility through the court system. Dent did not receive an invitation to the 2026 NBA Draft Combined.

The 6-foot-3 guard brings an impressive college résumé to LSU. He was the Mountain West Player of the Year at New Mexico in 2024-25, averaging 20.4 points and 6.4 assists while shooting 40.8% from three-point range, according to Sports Illustrated. He chose UCLA over Gonzaga and Kentucky in the 2025 transfer portal. At UCLA, Dent averaged 7.6 assists and 1.8 turnovers per game, and included in his performance was an impressive 12-point, 10-assist, three-block game against Gonzaga in a game the Zags won 82-72.

Gonzaga Loses a Target

The timing of Dent's commitment is notable for Gonzaga, who had seen on point guard position recently hollowed out. The Zags lost Mario Saint-Supery in mid-July, after already losing Jack Kayil to the NBA draft two months prior, as Sports Illustrated reported. Dent was considered a top candidate to fill that void, but with his move, Sports Illustrated noted that Xaivian Lee now becomes the top available point guard on the market.

Sports Illustrated acknowledged that the loss of Dent is a tough blow for the Zags. Although Dent had played against Gonzaga, he chose UCLA in 2025 over a top-three list that included Gonzaga and Kentucky.

Gonzaga's roster already includes Davis Fogle, Braden Huffman, Isiah Harwell, and Massamba Diop, but the team has outside developing its own issues. Jovon Bennett is currently ineligible due to execution claims in Colorado and Ohio, and Nathan de Sousa is in a similar kind of waiting in the face of the NCAA, per Sports Illustrated. The Zags also have a matchup against LSU scheduled at Spokane Arena on Nov. 14, which will now feature the former target.

A Key Addition for LSU

Who is Dent to join LSU, the Tigers also continue to build with a major addition in RJ Lins, who was granted a preliminary injunction earlier this week allow him to play for LSU in 2026-27. The ruling came after a hearing on Monday in the 19th Judicial District Courthouse in Baton Rouge, presided over by Judge Aaron Johnson.

The lawsuit pitted top LSU against the NCAA. Luis's attorney, Tony M. Clayton, worked to finalize the case for a program that has been on the receiving end of several eligibility challenges. The NCAA was represented by Taylor Askew in a more than 5-hour session. The NCAA can still request a stay to pause the injunction.

Luis was the 2025 Big East Player of the Year at St. John's, averaging 18.2 points and 7.2 rebounds, and was a second-team AP All-American. He went undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft, then signed with the Utah Jazz, was traded to the Boston Celtics, waswaived on Oct. 15, 2025, and signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Maine Celtics. He never appeared in a G-League regular-season game due to injury in the NBA preseason, scoring six points in three preseason games.

The NCAA has been said to not grant eligibility for players who signed NBA contracts. NCAA president Charlie Baker said in December: "The NCAA has not and will not grant eligibility to any prospective or returning student-athletes who have signed an NBA contract (including a two-way contract)."

SEC commissioner Greg Fletcher filed an affidavit opposing Luis's return, arguing that athletes who go pro forfeit eligibility and allowing a return would "fuel disruption."

Luis, who spent his freshman year at Massachusetts before transferring to St. John's, committed to LSU on May 19. He brings career totals of 14.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1,3 steals across 85 games on 43.9% shooting.

Clark's Shooting Punch

As Dent placates a backcourt role, Skyy Clark is expected to provide another element. He's a 6-foot-3, 210-pound combo guard entering his fifth year. Last season at UCLA, he averaged 11.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.0 turnover in 26 games, shooting 46.9% from the field, 42.8% from three-point range, and 82.1% from the free-throw line.

The Baton Rouge Advocate notes that Clark's eligibility via the California TRO is unaffected by the NCAA's stay request Colorado.

Clark was ranked No. 6 among point guards in the 2022 class in the 247Sports Composite. At UCLA, he was a secondary playmaker and high-volume 3-point shooter, taking contested and NBA-range attempts. He shot efficiently inside too, converting 32 of 45 attempts at the rim.

Among a group of only five players nationally to have a steal rate of at least 2.5%, shoot at least 40% from three, and keep the turnover percentage under 12% last season, Clark included. That list also includes Meleek Thomas and Allen Graves per reports.

Wade is expected to deploy Clark as an off-ball scorer, while Dent leads the offense, a potential pairing forming what may be LSU's starting backcourt. At North Carolina State last season before returning to LSU, Wade's team ranked eighth nationally in three-point shooting (38.8%) and 12th in fewest turnovers per game (9.2), which could fit well with Clark's strengths.

A Roster on the Rise

LSU's new-look squad also includes transfers Divine Ugochukwu, Abdi Bashir Jr., and Mouhaumed Dioubate, per Sports Illustrated. They become part of a loaded roster as the team aims to re-establish itself under Wade.

Coach Wade attended Luis's court hearing, presence with an embrace, a scene-shot that was photographed by Mike Cauble, capturing the program's stake in his eligibility outcome.

With Dent, Clark, and now Luis added to the mix, LSU has entered the 2026-27 season with strengthened depth, while Gonzaga moves on to consider its remaining options, including Lee.