Will Wade Grabs Perhaps His Best Recruit Yet In UCLA Point Guard Donovan Dent

By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor

It’s not how you start, but how you finish.

And new LSU basketball coach Will Wade – the second time around – is closing strong in recruiting his class for the 2026-27 season.

On Friday, Wade gained a commitment from one of the top point guards in the country in fifth-year senior to be Donovan Dent of UCLA.

NEWS: UCLA transfer Donovan Dent, one of the top guards in the portal, has committed to LSU, he told @On3.

The 6-2 senior averaged 13.3 points and 7.6 assists per game this past season.https://t.co/PhRtOF1LtD pic.twitter.com/iBc5ZbRkg3

— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) August 21, 2026

Dent is Wade’s second major commitment from the Bruins this week after getting fifth-year senior guard Skyy Clark.

Will Wade Catches A Break – UCLA Transfer Commitment Skyy Clark Gets 5th Season At LSU After Ruling

Dent (6-foot-2, 185 pounds) averaged 13.3 points and 7.6 assists last season for UCLA, which finished 24-12 (13-7, Big Ten) and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Dent, like Clark, is part of the large group of athletes who began their college careers in 2022 and have sued the NCAA over its new rule that allows athletes to play five seasons in five years, instead of four in five with the old rule. But the new rule is limited to players who began their college careers in 2023.

Various judges have issued temporary restraining orders and injunctions, making players who started their collegiate careers in 2022 suddenly eligible.

Dent entered the portal after such a ruling and committed to Wade on Friday. A transfer to UCLA before last season, Dent was the Mountain West player of the year in 2024-24 for New Mexico as he averaged 20.6 points and 6.4 assists a game. In 2023-24 with the Lobos, he scored 14.1 a game with 5.4 assists. As a freshman in 2022-23, he scored 5.6 a game with 2.3 assists.

Dent was the No. 116 prospect in the nation and No. 20 point guard when he signed with New Mexico before the 2022-23 season from Centennial High in Corona, California, as the No. 16 player in his state.

Clark (6-3, 210) averaged 11.5 points and 2.0 assists last season for the Bruins.

Dent and Clark are expected to sign by or on Monday when classes begin at LSU. Those two will give Wade just his fifth and sixt official roster players, but several more signees from previous commitments are expected soon.

The first four on Wade’s roster are all from the transfer portal – No. 11 small forward Mouhamed Dioubate (No. 68 overall) of Kentucky, No. 26 shooting guard Abdi Bashri (132 overall) of Kansas State, No. 48 point guard Divine Ugochukwu (243 overall) of Michigan State and unranked guard Austin Nunez of Texas-San Antonio.

Wade also has four international commitments he expects to get signed and enrolled by Monday – forward Saliou Niang of Italy, center Marcio Santos of Brazil, center Brice Dessert of France and forward Michael Ruzic of Croatia.

Not So Fast, Says SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey To LSU Coach Will Wade’s Quest For NBA-Signed Star RJ Luis

There is also signee forward RJ Luis, but his eligibility status is likely a long shot. Luis last played collegiately in 2024-25 at St. John’s, averaging 18.2 points and 7.2 rebounds in being named the Big East player of the year. Only problem with him is he signed NBA contracts with the Utah Jazz and Boston Celtics.

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey has come out strongly against Luis signing with LSU or any other college, considering his NBA baggage.

Wade also has a commitment from unranked forward Jordan Bender of Northside Christian School in St. Petersburg, Florida.