Why Donovan Dent could solve Gonzaga's biggest problem

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs built a fantastic starting lineup and were working on putting finishing touches on a roster set to compete for a Pac-12 championship and make a deep run in the 2027 NCAA Tournament.

And then, out of nowhere, presumed starting point guard Mario Saint-Supery returned to Spain and signed a multi-year deal with Valencia - leaving Gonzaga in desperate need of a point guard to finalize a roster that is otherwise in great shape.

Gonzaga might have gotten some much-needed good fortune when - less than 48 hours later - former New Mexico and UCLA point guard Donovan Dent revealed he is coming out of his brief retirement to pursue a fifth year of college basketball eligibility.

Dent is one of 45 student-athletes in a lawsuit filed in California that would grant four-year seniors an additional fifth year of eligibility - a list that also includes Dent's UCLA teammate Skyy Clark, former Gonzaga women's basketball guard Ines Bettencourt, and former SMC, UConn, and Santa Barbara guard Aidan Mahaney.

Dent is undeniably the prize of this group, however, and he's a near-perfect fit for a Gonzaga roster that desperately needs playmaking at the point guard position in order to make a run back to the Final Four.

Below is a look at five reasons why Dent is the clear and correct choice for Gonzaga's roster, assuming he does get his eligibility cleared for 2026-27:

1. Elite floor vision

Mar 13, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Donovan Dent (2) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Simply put, Dent has been one of the best passers in college basketball over the last four years. Gonzaga's system thrives on guards being able to make quick reads in the pick-and-roll, throw ahead in transition for easy buckets, and thread the needle to the always hungry big men on the block.

A player who can do those things will gobble up assists at an elite rate - just like Ryan Nembhard did in his record-breaking 2024-25 campaign with Gonzaga.

Dent is easily capable of dropping 8+ assists per game for the Zags, even if his arrival comes on such short notice. This team is primed for a pass-first point guard, with two excellent scoring bigs in Braden Huff and Massamba Diop, a sophomore bursting to break out in Davis Fogle, and a big, physical wing in Isiah Harwell who can handle tough assignments defensively and thrives in transition.

2. Experienced veteran

Perhaps the team's biggest area of concern outside of point guard is experience. Diop, Fogle, and Harwell are all sophomores, while Huff is the lone upperclassman on the roster. In fact, assuming a bench rotation of Izan Almansa, Parker Jefferson, Luca Foster, Nathan de Sousa, and Juwan Ekanga-Ehawa, Gonzaga has exactly 0.0 minutes of college basketball experience on the second unit.

Dent would give Gonzaga a point guard with 139 career games played under his belt, including 106 starts - 72 in the Mountain West and 34 last year in the Big Ten with the Bruins.

That experience is invaluable for a roster that is lacking in that area, and again it becomes crucial when considering his arrival in Spokane - if it happens - will be so late in the offseason, giving him far less prep time with his new teammates and coaches. Dent having four years of CBB experience to lean on will make that transition far easier for all parties involved.

3. Can go get a bucket

Dent averaged 5+ assists in each of the past three years - topping out at 7.6 last year with the Bruins - but he's more than just a pass-first point guard. The 6'2 guard scored 14.1 points per game as a sophomore at New Mexico - a figure that ballooned to a Mountain West-leading 20.4 points as a junior when he earned Conference Player of the Year honors.

He did that while shooting 49% from the field and an outstanding 40.9% from three, although those figures dropped at UCLA - where he only averaged 13.3 points and shot 40.8% from the field and an ugly 25.4% from beyond the arc.

Still, Dent proved he is more than capable of hunting his own shot, showcasing an ability to take guys off the dribble, score in the midrange, finish through contact, and get to the free-throw line on a consistent basis.

Huff, Fogle, and Diop will handle a ton of scoring for coach Few's club, but having a point guard who can go get a bucket is crucial to this offense's ability to fire on all cylinders.

4. Familiarity with coaching staff

Dent entered the transfer portal after three great seasons at New Mexico and ultimately chose to play for Mick Cronin and UCLA over a top three that also included Kentucky and Gonzaga.

The Zags went hard after Dent following Nembhard's graduation, ultimately landing on Saint-Supery a few months later. It's clear Dent didn't have the best time in LA with the Bruins, and it wouldn't be a surprise if he wanted to find his way in a system that is more open and up-tempo for his final season of eligibility.

Gonzaga showed Dent they aren't just interested in him in this moment of desperation, and that previous familiarity could push the Zags over the edge in landing the elite point guard.

5. History as an outside shooter

Donovan Dent is not a target of Gonzaga's because of his outside shooting. It's absolutely a need on this roster, but Dent fills so many other holes that anything you get from him on the perimeter would be a bonus.

But it's not impossible to imagine him finding his stroke in 2026-27. Last year, the 6'2 guard shot 18-71 (25.4%) from beyond the arc, a career high in attempts despite an ugly percentage.

However, he was a far, far more palatable 27-66 (40.9%) as a junior, and 15-40 (37.5%) as a sophomore with the Lobos.

In a system where his job will be to read and react, and where gravity will be pulled toward Huff, Diop, and Fogle, Dent would get plenty of open looks from the perimeter with the Zags - and could easily return to his pre-UCLA percentages from deep.

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