In May, UCLA guard Donovan Dent announced he was retiring from basketball. And unlike fellow senior teammate Tyler Bilodeau, Dent had no intention of pursuing a professional career.
Instead, Dent planned to become a youth basketball trainer in New Mexico. Dent had transferred from New Mexico to UCLA ahead of the 2025-26 season.
“I’m done with pro basketball,” Dent told the Albuquerque Journal in May. “I want to give back to the youth and I want to start training.”
Now two months later, Dent has changed his mind. He revealed he is seeking a fifth-year of NCAA eligibility and wants to return to collegiate basketball. Dent said his coaches and family encouraged him to take advantage of the possibility of a fifth-year of eligibility.
“I just looked at it as another opportunity because I was completely done with it, and seeing that they made a fifth year possible and all of my coaches and my family were like,’ Let’s give it one more,’” Dent told KRQE News 13’s Van Tate on Monday. “They kind of talked to me about it, and I was like, okay. We just look at it like another opportunity for a blessing, I guess.”
Dent’s decision to seek a fifth year comes after Ohio judge Christopher Wagner granted 15 Division I college basketball players a temporary injunction that would allow them to play during the 2026-27 season.
Is There Space for Dent on UCLA’s Roster?
Dent’s request for a fifth year of eligibility is still pending, and he told Tate he does not know which team he will play for if he is approved.
The 2025 Mountain West Player of the Year averaged 13.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 7.6 assists while starting in 34 of 35 games for UCLA last season. He also helped lead the Bruins to a 24-12 overall record and a second round appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
It is unclear if Dent would want to return to UCLA or if UCLA would want Dent back on the roster. But there is space for the Riverside, California native to come back to Westwood if both parties are interested.
UCLA currently has 13 players on its 2026-27 roster, and the limit is 15.
Photo Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
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