Transfer Portal Bio Blast: Donovan Dent
The college basketball transfer portal is officially open. We’ve seen some heavy player movement despite an ongoing NCAA Tournament. Kentucky is expected to again be an active shopper in the free agent market.
We’ve seen some early action from Mark Pope‘s staff in the transfer portal. The Wildcats are pursuing another star point guard in the Mountain West.
The Cats are recruiting the Mountain West for point guard help one year after landing San Diego State point guard Lamont Butler. Kentucky is pursuing New Mexico guard Donovan Dent. The 6-foot-2 transfer was one of the best guards in college basketball as a true junior in 2024-25.
New Mexico’s fan base was a big fan of the playmaker.
A decision for Dent is expected right around the corner. What could Kentucky be adding to the backcourt? KSR’s Bio Blast is taking a closer look.
Kentucky Transfer Portal Tracker
Mid-major high school recruit
Donovan Dent was a high school star in the 2022 recruiting cycle in Southern California. Dent starred at Compton (Calif.) Centennial and helped lead his team to a state title during his senior season in 2022. In his final year of high school, Dent won California Mr. Basketball while averaging 16.6 points and 6.6 assists per game.
Dent only received interest from mid-major programs. Montana State, Long Beach State, and UC Santa Barbara were among those involved in this recruitment. The point guard decided to become a member of Richard Pitino‘s first full high school recruiting class at New Mexico.
Rotation player quickly develops into Mountain West star
As a true freshman in 2022-23, Donovan Dent played in all 34 games as a bench player. The rookie averaged 5.6 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 18.5 minutes per game for a New Mexico team that made the NIT. Dent ranked fifth in the Mountain West in steal percentage (3.1%) and showed an ability to get to the line (55.5%) free throw rate.
A jump was made in year two for a New Mexico team that won the Mountain West Tournament as the No. 6 seed by winning four games in four days in Las Vegas. The Lobos edged out San Diego State in the conference championship where Dent and Butler went head-to-head.
The New Mexico point guard started 34 games as a sophomore and earned second-team All-Mountain West honors. Dent averaged 14.1 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 5.4 assists on .520/.375/.682 shooting splits in 31.3 minutes per game. The New Mexico guard became one of the best mid-major guards as a sophomore.
Dent would become one of the best guards in college basketball as a junior.
A true star in 2025
Expectations were high for Donovan Dent and New Mexico after a splash season in 2024. Both the player and program delivered in Albuquerque. The Lobos won their first Mountain West title since 2013. Dent was a major reason why.
Dent was the Mountain West Player of the Year and earned honorable mention honors as a true junior.
The star point guard averaged 20.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 6.4 assists on .490/.409/.784 shooting splits in 35.3 minutes per game. Dent started in every game. The veteran has never missed a game in his collegiate career.
Leading an offense that ranked No. 7 nationally in adjusted tempo, Dent became the first player in college basketball since 1997 to averaged at least 20 points and six assists while shooting 49 percent from the field and 40 percent from three. Dent was a true star who led the Mountain West in usage rate (29.1%) and did most of his work from two with only 65 three-point attempts in 34 games. The New Mexico guard went for 30-plus points a few times and dropped 40 points on a VCU team that made the NCAA Tournament.
Advanced Stat Profile: Donovan Dent
Let’s take a closer look the numbers that Donovan Dent posted in 2025.
StatRankingUsage Rate29.1% (No. 80 nationally)Assist Rate35.8% (No. 23 nationally)Minutes Percentage88.7% (No. 41 nationally)Fouls Drawn Per 40 Minutes5.7 (No. 48 nationally)
Dent ranked in the top 100 nationally in usage, assists, minutes, and fouls drawn. New Mexico asked their star to carry a heavy load for an offense that struggled to shoot the three. That meant putting Dent in ballscreen actions and asking to make good decisions via shot selection and passing. The guard was good enough for New Mexico to have a top-100 offense.
The guard is a career 36.3 percent shooter from three but logged only 124 attempts in three years at New Mexico. Richard Pitino asked Dent to get downhill and attack the rim. The point guard thrived at that and can make teams pay at the free throw line (73.5% career shooter) even if some improvement is needed. The guard is a playmaker who can create shots for himself and others.
Kentucky had some issues in shot creation this season. That was magnified without Lamont Butler in the lineup. Dent could help fix that by giving Kentucky one of the most durable players in college basketball along with a point who thrives as a driver and passer out of ballscreen actions.
Donovan Dent can be an All-American at his next stop.
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