Donovan Dent, Mountain West Player of the Year, has interest from KU, former coach says
New Mexico point guard Donovan Dent entered his name in the NCAA transfer portal Tuesday afternoon.
Josh Giles, his former high school basketball coach at Centennial High, says his phone has rung non-stop since.
The Jayhawks were one of many schools that inquired about Dent, according to Giles.
“I’ve been on the phone for 8 1/2 hours today, so I’m doing great,” Giles told The Star. “I’ve spoken to the highest of the highest majors today. The bluest of the blue bloods, so I’d consider Kansas in that mix. I had a conversation with one of the assistants.”
Dent averaged 20.3 points and 6.4 assists for the Lobos last season. Dent played three seasons at New Mexico under coach Richard Pitino, who recently took the coaching job at Xavier.
Giles expects Dent to decide relatively quickly, adding he wouldn’t be surprised if Dent decides by the weekend.
According to Giles, Dent doesn’t plan on taking visits, as he knows that all the schools recruiting him all have “great facilities and a great basketball tradition.”
“It’s going to come down to which school is the best fit for him and gives him the best chance to compete to play in the Final Four,” Giles said.
His play-style is something KU basketball desperately needs more of.
The Mountain West Player of the Year is a point guard who is an excellent playmaker and a marksmen from deep. He shot 40.9% on 3-pointers during the 2024-25 season.
Dent is the No. 2-ranked player in the transfer portal, according to 247Sports.
According to Giles, Dent isn’t too worried about scoring — instead, he is focused on being in a situation where he can contribute to winning. He believes that’s his path to getting drafted and playing in the NBA.
“I think (his) best attribute is, if you’re a guy that scores 10 points a game, if Donovan Dent’s your point guard, you’re probably scoring 13 to 14,” Giles said. “If you’re a guy that scores 15 points a game, Donnie is probably going to get you to 20. … He wants to be in a position where he’s going to create and make people around him better.”
The Jayhawks will have a new-look roster next season, with four of KU’s five starters from 2024-25 exhausting their eligibility. KU also brings in the No. 27-ranked freshman recruiting class next season, headlined by 5-star prospect Darryn Peterson.
Dent, a 6-foot-2 guard from Riverside, California, could help diminish the losses of guards Dajuan Harris and Zeke Mayo.
“I think they’re very intrigued with Donnie,” Giles said. “Obviously, they have a guy (Peterson) coming in and all that stuff. … I don’t think it’s necessarily an issue on Donnie’s end. He just cares about the whole winning piece. Whatever gives him the best opportunity to win.
“I think for him, being in that situation where it’s maybe not as much on him and yes, surrounded by Kansas level players, it’s like, ‘Yeah, what could he be in that situation — how good could he be?
As for what Kansas fans should know?
“The thing about Donnie is that he’s an extremely popular kid when he’s playing. He’s got a personality that people follow,” Giles said. “He’s a good person. … He’s just genuinely like a nice guy. …
“I told him this morning when he entered the portal, ‘You are now the No. 1 recruit in the nation. He goes, ‘No, I don’t think so.’ He’s kind of naive and real humble about it.”
