This post was updated March 30 at 9:33 p.m.

Former New Mexico guard and reigning Mountain West Player of the Year Donovan Dent committed to UCLA men’s basketball Friday evening. 

The news – initially reported by On3 before Dent posted a photo of himself in a Bruin jersey on Instagram – comes just two days after former Bruin guard Dylan Andrews entered the transfer portal, leaving coach Mick Cronin without a starting floor general. 

[Related: UCLA men’s basketball guard Dylan Andrews enters transfer portal] 

Arguably the most coveted player in the portal, Dent was reportedly deciding between UCLA, Kentucky and Gonzaga after parting ways with New Mexico on Tuesday. In a season where he became the conference’s most electrifying talent, Dent averaged 20.4 points and 6.4 assists per game.

The dynamic guard shot 40.9% from beyond the arc and 49% from the field this season, ultimately helping lead New Mexico to a Round of 32 appearance in the NCAA Tournament, where it fell to No. 2 seed Michigan State. 

A four-star prospect out of Corona, California, Dent spearheaded Centennial High School to the 2022 State Championship, posting 16.6 points and 6.6 assists as a senior. He was ultimately tabbed the 2022 John R. Wooden High School Player of the Year and the Los Angeles Times Player of the Year.

Although Dent and Cronin forged a relationship during the former’s high school career – with Cronin’s Westwood base just 60 miles away from Dent – the coach passed on recruiting him, already having locked in Andrews as his point guard of the future. 

With his hands tied, Cronin said he encouraged then-New Mexico coach Richard Pitino – who took over at Xavier on Wednesday – to pursue Dent’s recruitment. 

“Dylan had committed to us,” Cronin said. “I told Richard – not that he needed me to tell him, his staff was on this – that this guy is going to be tremendous. We already had Dylan Andrews coming in in the same class. I saw Donny (Dent) play a million times, whether it was AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) or with Centennial.”

Pitino’s faith in Dent paid off handsomely, as the guard ended the season among the nation’s top 15 in both points and assists, capped by a dominant stretch of 20 or more points in nine of his last 10 regular season contests. 

Cronin was forced to reckon with his decision to stick with Andrews over Dent. When UCLA visited New Mexico for a Nov. 8 showdown, Dent posted 17 points and eight assists compared to Andrews’ four points and two assists. 

And after Andrews faced a middling 2024-2025 campaign, marked by a sharp drop in offensive output compared to his breakout sophomore season, Dent could push the Bruins into the country’s top five. 

Dent will return home to Southern California, reunite with Cronin and join forces with returning Bruins – namely junior forward Tyler Bilodeau, sophomore guard/forward Eric Dailey Jr., guards junior Skyy Clark and freshman Trent Perry and potentially sophomore center Aday Mara.