College basketball’s transfer portal has its first superstar, and every school is going to want him

Donovan Dent might be the biggest start in the college basketball transfer portal this year, and he has no shortage of suitors.

The Sweet 16 is set for the 2025 men’s NCAA tournament, but some of the biggest news in college basketball is happening off the court. The coaching carousel is already in full swing with Indiana, Texas, NC State, Iowa, and more filling their openings. The transfer portal is already popping, too, and now it has its first headline name.

Donovan Dent led the New Mexico Lobos to a win in the NCAA tournament just a few days ago. Now he’s entering the transfer portal for his final season of eligibility, where he’s certain to be one of the top available players on the market. Dent is reportedly considering a return to New Mexico, but he’s set up to have a long list of suitors and draw top NIL dollars from the biggest programs in the sport.

We ranked Dent as the 30th best player in March Madness this year. The 6’2 guard is one of the fastest players in the country with the ball in his hands, showing off tremendous passing vision and improved scoring touch. Dent can beat defenders off the dribble and make plays for his teammates, with his 35.8 percent assist rate ranking in the top-25 of DI. He became a damn good scorer this season, too, averaging 20.4 points per game as a decent rim finisher with a solid floater and an improved three-point stroke. Dent hit 40.9 percent of his threes year, albeit on only 66 attempts. Still, his three-point volume and accuracy are both trending in the right direction, which makes him even tougher to cover given his quickness off the bounce.

Dent had 21 points, six assists, three rebounds, and two blocks (with eight turnovers) as No. 10 seed New Mexico defeated No. 7 seed Marquette in the first round of the 2025 NCAA tournament. He finished with 14 points and six assists on 7-of-18 shooting against Michigan State in a round of 32 loss two days later.

Dent has such a coveted skill set for the college game as a pure point guard who can get his team playing at a super fast tempo while distributing the ball to his teammates and scoring well himself. We saw several players crack $1 million in the transfer portal last year with Johnell Davis at Arkansas, Oumar Ballo at Indiana, and Coleman Hawkins at Kansas State (who reportedly landed $2 million). Dent should be within that range given how many programs are looking for point guard help.

Where could Dent land? Here are a few wild guesses:

Kentucky Wildcats: Lamont Butler and Koby Brea are out of eligibility after this year. Kerr Kriisa could return to Lexington, but he can play off the ball, too. Kentucky has a pair of elite freshmen guards coming in with Jasper Johnson and Acaden Lewis, but they can certainly make room for Dent if they want to.

North Carolina Tar Heels: North Carolina is historically known for playing fast, and Dent is an ideal fit to push an up-tempo system. UNC needs a point guard with RJ Davis set to graduate, and head coach Hubert Davis should be operating with a mix of urgency and desperation after a poor season. UNC should have more NIL dollars to work with, and Dent is an obvious target.

Texas Tech Red Raiders: Dent’s former teammate JT Toppin transferred to Texas Tech after his successful freshman year, and had a tremendous sophomore season for a team still playing in the NCAA tournament this year. Toppin faces a fascinating stay-or-go NBA Draft decision, and he’d likely have great things to say to Dent about his experience in Lubbock regardless of what he chooses.

Alabama and Florida: The SEC big boys could absolutely throw their weight around in this recruitment. Alabama needs to replace Mark Sears, and Florida might have to replace Walter Clayton Jr. The SEC always pays up, and Dent is a great fit in the league’s up-tempo style of play.

The possibilities for Dent are endless. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up at Texas, Arizona, Louisville, St. John’s, or UConn, either. His decision will be about what’s most important to him in a new program, and how much they can pay him. He’s set up to do very well for himself after a tremendous junior year for New Mexico.