Gonzaga is now free to pursue Donovan Dent and Xaivian Lee

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs are one giant step closer to finalizing the roster with a massive splash in the transfer portal.

On Tuesday, a judge in California granted a temporary restraining order, or TRO, for 73 plaintiffs, which makes them eligible for the upcoming 2026-27 season, pending NCAA appeal.

Among the plaintiffs are two point guard targets for the Zags, Donovan Dent and Xaivian Lee, from UCLA and Florida, respectively. Lee has now confirmed he plans to enter the transfer portal, per Joe Tipton of On3, while Dent has previously said he plans to as well. The TRO is granting a transfer portal window through August 24.

Many other high-profile players are also eligible under this ruling, including Jordan Pope, Aidan Mahaney, Moe Odum, Oziyah Sellers, Jaxon Kohler, and former Gonzaga women's basketball starter Ines Bettencourt.

For those that message us daily about California - Today our clients were granted a TRO covering approx 73 players. pic.twitter.com/h3n4EoZt4t
— The Texas Trial Group (@TexasTrialGroup) August 18, 2026

What the California ruling means for Gonzaga

Mar 20, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Donovan Dent (2) dribbles the ball against UCF Knights guard Chris Johnson (22) in the first half during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Gonzaga has been heavily pursuing an elite point guard to replace Mario Saint-Supery, who surprised the team with his decision to return to Spain in mid-July after working out in Spokane for over a month.

Both Dent and Lee have been on the team's radar, but neither was eligible to come to Gonzaga until now. The federal ruling in Colorado granted eligibility to all members of the high school class of 2022, including Lee and Dent, but only allowed players to transfer if they had previously entered the portal back in April - which neither had done.

This TRO gives the plaintiffs an opportunity to transfer freely, and if it is not successfully appealed by the NCAA, they will be able to suit up anywhere this season penalty-free.

Lee also played in the NBA Summer League and may have signed an Exhibit 10 deal, and as of this writing, it is unclear if the TRO makes any kind of judgment on his eligibility from that perspective.

There's also the concern that the injunction granted in Ohio is being appealed by the NCAA, which successfully got the Ohio Court of Appeals to put a 'stay' on the case - meaning right now players who were granted that injunction are ineligible until the appeals process is complete.

While it doesn't mean the same will happen with this case in California, it is far from a guarantee that any of these players will end up eligible this season.

How Donovan Dent and Xaivian Lee would fit at Gonzaga

Mar 14, 2026; Nashville, TN, USA; Florida Gators guard Xaivian Lee (1) reacts after a made three point basket against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second half at Bridgestone Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Both Lee and Dent are elite facilitators who provide a similar - and desperately needed - skill set to this Zags team.

Dent was the Mountain West Player of the Year in 2024-25 at New Mexico, averaging 20.4 points and 6.4 assists before taking his talent to UCLA last season. His scoring dropped considerably, and he shot just 25.6% from three, but Dent averaged a ridiculous 7.6 assists to 1.8 turnovers for one of the best assist-to-turnover ratios in the entire country.

Meanwhile, Lee averaged 16.9 points and 5.5 assists at Princeton as a junior before replacing Walter Clayton Jr at point guard for Florida this past season. Lee also struggled to find his outside shot - hitting 29.2% from deep - but he averaged 4.2 assists and played some of the best defense of his career in a brutal SEC.

Either player would be a phenomenal addition to a Gonzaga lineup that will include sophomore Davis Fogle, Florida State transfer Chauncey Wiggins, senior Braden Huff, and Arizona State transfer Massamba Diop.

Gonzaga also added another point guard, Javon Bennett from Dayton, who will still be eligible to play for the Zags even if the Ohio lawsuit gets overturned on appeal - since he entered the transfer portal in April.

Bennett is joined by Houston transfer Isiah Harwell, St. Francis transfer Skylar Wicks, and freshmen Luca Foster and Juwan Ekanga-Ehawa in Gonzaga's loaded backcourt - a group that might truly be the best in the country if either Lee or Dent ends up in Spokane for 2026-27.

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