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While one Bruins player left Westwood for the NBA Draft, Donovan Dent appeared ready to leave basketball altogether when he retired in May.
Two months later, that certainty is gone.
The former New Mexico and UCLA point guard has applied for a fifth year of NCAA eligibility, giving himself a chance to return for the 2026-27 season after announcing in May that he was stepping away from the sport.
Dents original plan did not include professional basketball.
Instead, the Riverside, Calif., native intended to return to Albuquerque and work with young players in the community where his college career first took off.
Im done with pro basketball, Dent told the Albuquerque Journal at the time.
I want to give back to the youth and I want to start training.
That remains important to Dent, who is currently hosting a youth basketball camp in New Mexico.
But a possible rules change opened a door he believed had already closed.
Dent told KRQE News 13 that coaches and family members encouraged him to pursue one more season rather than walk away while another opportunity might be available.
I just looked at it as another opportunity because I was completely done with it, Dent said.
Seeing that they made a fifth year possible, all of my coaches and my family were like, Lets give it one more.
He added that the people around him helped frame the decision as another opportunity for a blessing.
The next step is out of Dents hands.
His eligibility request is still under review, and he acknowledged that he does not yet know where he would play if approved.
A return to UCLA is possible, but far from guaranteed.
Dent spent only one season with the Bruins after transferring from New Mexico, yet quickly took control of the offense.
He averaged 13.3 points and 7.6 assists, started 34 games and helped UCLA reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Bruins also appear to have roster flexibility, with 12 players currently listed against a 15-player limit.
Still, UCLA would need to decide whether bringing back a veteran point guard fits Mick Cronins roster construction, scholarship plans and expected rotation.
Dent could also explore opportunities elsewhere, including a possible reunion with New Mexico.
For now, the 2025 Mountain West Player of the Year is waiting on the ruling that will determine whether retirement was the end of his career or merely a two-month pause.
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