Former New Mexico guard Donovan Dent headed to UCLA. St. John's star RJ Luis Jr. declares for draft
Former New Mexico guard Donovan Dent headed to UCLA. St. John's star RJ Luis Jr. declares for draft
St. John's guard RJ Luis Jr. (12) sits on the bench while trailing Arkansas late in the second half in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Providence, R.I. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Michigan State forward Coen Carr, left; and center Carson Cooper, center; defend New Mexico guard Donovan Dent (2) during the second half in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 23, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Richard)
Michigan State forward Coen Carr, left; and center Carson Cooper, center; defend New Mexico guard Donovan Dent (2) during the second half in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 23, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Richard)
St. John's guard RJ Luis Jr. (12) sits on the bench while trailing Arkansas late in the second half in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Providence, R.I. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Michigan State forward Coen Carr, left; and center Carson Cooper, center; defend New Mexico guard Donovan Dent (2) during the second half in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 23, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Richard)
UCLA has landed former New Mexico guard Donovan Dent, one of the most sought-after players in the transfer portal.
Dent announced his decision to play at Westwood on Instagram on Friday, less than a week after opting to enter the transfer portal.
Advertisement
St. John's second-team All-American RJ Luis Jr. is declaring for the NBA draft while retaining his eligibility and entering the transfer portal, his agent told ESPN.
ESPN also reported Kansas big man Flory Bidunga will enter the portal as well.
Dent was the Mountain West Conference player of the year after averaging 20.4 points and 6.5 assists per game. The 6-foot-2 guard is expected to fill the hole left at UCLA by Dylan Andrews, who also is in the transfer portal.
Dent played three seasons under Richard Pitino, who became Xavier's head coach after leading the Lobos to the NCAA Tournament the past two years.
Advertisement
Luis was the Big East player of the year after averaging 18.2 points and 7.2 rebounds. The 6-7 forward was the Big East Tournament most outstanding player and helped St. John's earn a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. But he was on the bench late in the Red Storm's 75-66 loss to Arkansas in the second round.
Luis finished 3 for 17 from the floor without an assist, scoring nine points in 30 minutes. He was removed by coach Rick Pitino with 4:56 remaining in a two-point game and didn't return.
The 6-9 Bidunga averaged 5.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks while providing a spark off the bench behind All-American Hunter Dickinson.
___
AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Poland coach resigns after dispute with star striker Robert Lewandowski
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The coach of Poland's national soccer team announced Thursday has resigned as head coach, days after a spat with star striker Robert Lewandowski. 'I have come to the conclusion that, given the current situation, the best decision for the good of the national team is my resignation from the position of head coach,' Michał Probierz said in a statement published by the Polish Football Association. Probierz stripped Barcelona striker Lewandowski of his position as team captain on the eve of a World Cup qualifier against Finland earlier this week, and named Inter Milan midfielder Piotr Zieliński as the new captain. Lewandowski reacted by saying he would no longer play for the national team as long as Probierz remains head coach. Poland went on to suffer an embarrassing 2-1 defeat to Finland, to put its qualifications hopes into jeopardy. The 36-year-old Lewandowski, who has played a record 158 games for his country and is the leading scorer with 85 goals, is arguably the most outstanding player in the history of Polish soccer. Lewandowski pulled out of last Friday's friendly over Moldova, citing tiredness from a La Liga title-winning season with Barcelona. Probierz, who took over in September 2023 after the disappointing tenure of Fernando Santos, managed to secure qualification for the 2024 European Championship but has since struggled. The Polish Football Association's president, Cezary Kulesza, had summoned Probierz on Wednesday to discuss the matter. 'I give coaches a lot of freedom, but with that comes responsibility. I expect results, first and foremost,' Kulesza said. 'These were difficult days for the fans of the national team.' ___ AP soccer:
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Paige Bueckers' Response After Dallas Wings' Sixth Straight Loss
Paige Bueckers' Response After Dallas Wings' Sixth Straight Loss originally appeared on Athlon Sports. After missing four games while in concussion protocol followed by an illness, Paige Bueckers returned to action for the Dallas Wings on Wednesday. Advertisement She had her best game yet as a pro by exploding for 35 points on 13-of-19 shooting from the field and hitting five of her seven 3-point attempts while adding six rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block. But the rookie couldn't prevent the Wings from losing to the Phoenix Mercury, 93-80. They now have a putrid 1-10 record, which is the worst mark in the WNBA. Bueckers was used to winning in college at UConn, and she talked about how she is dealing with losses in bunches as a pro. "It's challenging but very rewarding in a sense of you being super process-oriented and not result-oriented," she said. "How we want to have a set of standards, build a culture and have a way we do things and stick to that regardless of wins or losses... Then the results will follow and will come as we continue to stay disciplined in who we are every single day. "Just trying to lead by example, lead with my voice and just have difficult conversations. Get to know these people on and off the court and continue to build that chemistry... Just like anything in life, it's a journey." When Bueckers was at UConn, the school always reached at least the Sweet Sixteen round of the women's NCAA Tournament. In fact, during that time, the only instance in which the Huskies didn't get to the Final Four was when she missed all of the 2022-23 season with an injury. Advertisement Just a couple of months ago, they won it all by blasting South Carolina in the title game. For her college career, she averaged 19.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists a game while shooting 53.1% from the field and 42.3% from downtown. Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers and Minnesota Lynx forward Alanna SmithBruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images But she is now playing for a Wings franchise that has struggled in recent years. It has won just one playoff series since 2009, when it was known as the Shock and moved from Detroit to Tulsa, Oklahoma. In the meantime, look for Bueckers to continue to show patience as she develops her game and looks to become the WNBA's next superstar. Related: Caitlin Clark's Appearance at NBA Finals Draws Indiana Fever Reaction This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Poland coach resigns after dispute with star striker Robert Lewandowski
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The coach of Poland's national soccer team announced Thursday has resigned as head coach, days after a spat with star striker Robert Lewandowski. 'I have come to the conclusion that, given the current situation, the best decision for the good of the national team is my resignation from the position of head coach,' Michał Probierz said in a statement published by the Polish Football Association. Probierz stripped Barcelona striker Lewandowski of his position as team captain on the eve of a World Cup qualifier against Finland earlier this week, and named Inter Milan midfielder Piotr Zieliński as the new captain. Lewandowski reacted by saying he would no longer play for the national team as long as Probierz remains head coach. Poland went on to suffer an embarrassing 2-1 defeat to Finland, to put its qualifications hopes into jeopardy. The 36-year-old Lewandowski, who has played a record 158 games for his country and is the leading scorer with 85 goals, is arguably the most outstanding player in the history of Polish soccer. Lewandowski pulled out of last Friday's friendly over Moldova, citing tiredness from a La Liga title-winning season with Barcelona. Probierz, who took over in September 2023 after the disappointing tenure of Fernando Santos, managed to secure qualification for the 2024 European Championship but has since struggled. 'I give coaches a lot of freedom, but with that comes responsibility. I expect results, first and foremost," Kulesza said. 'These were difficult days for the fans of the national team." ___
