Latest news with #MountainWestPlayeroftheYear
USA Today
02-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UNC basketball center target in transfer portal target chooses SEC rival
UNC basketball center target in transfer portal target chooses SEC rival Why does UNC keep swinging and missing on transfer portal centers? BREAKING: Alabama has landed the commitment of 7-footer Noah Williamson, a transfer center from Bucknell, sources told @On3sports. The Patriot League Player of the Year averaged 17.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game this season. — Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) April 1, 2025 The college basketball transfer portal isn't even two weeks old, but we're already starting to see several players commit to their future destinations. Ellliot Cadeau, who ran point for the North Carolina Tar Heels over the past two season, committed to Michigan a week after entering the transfer portal. Donovan Dent, the reigning Mountain West Player of the Year and a 20-point scorer, chose UCLA after previously talking to UNC. One of North Carolina's greatest portal needs is a big man, who'll be playing alongside incoming 5-star power forward Caleb Wilson in the frontcourt. Unfortunately for the Tar Heels, it's now out of the running for 7-foot center Noah Williamson. After previous reports noted the Tar Heels looking at Williamson, the reigning Patriot League Player of the Year chose Alabama. Sound familiar? Cliff Omoruyi, a 6'11" center who played his first four years of college basketball at Rutgers, chose Alabama three days after visiting UNC during the 2024 offseason. Williamson, who averaged a career-high 17.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game with the Bucknell Bison during the 2024-2025 college basketball season, can do pretty much anything on the court. He's a 7-footer who can knock down threes (31.8% last year), but can also punish you in the pain with his towering frame. It doesn't matter what kind of big man North Carolina gets in the transfer portal, it just matters that North Carolina secures a commitment. The Tar Heels struck out on all the top-end talent during 2024, but enjoyed a late-season breakout from Ven-Allen Lubin, en route to the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
Reuters
29-03-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
New Mexico standout Donovan Dent transferring to UCLA
March 29 - Donovan Dent, who won the Mountain West Player of the Year award with New Mexico this season, is transferring to UCLA. The 247Sports transfer portal listing confirmed the move on Saturday. He was ranked as the No. 2 player in the portal. Dent led the Mountain West with an average of 20.4 points and added 6.4 assists. He shot 49 percent from the field and 40.9 percent from 3-point range. He announced he was entering the transfer portal after New Mexico's 71-63 second-round loss in the South Region of the NCAA Tournament to No. 2 seed Michigan State. It's a homecoming for Dent, who played in high school at Centennial in Corona, about 65 miles from the UCLA campus. Coming out of high school, 247Sports ranked him as the No. 20 point guard in the nation in the 2022 class. Dent appeared in 104 games (72 starts) over three seasons with New Mexico, scoring 1,400 total points for an average of 13.5 points per game.
Miami Herald
25-03-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
New Mexico star PG Donovan Dent entering transfer portal
New Mexico standout point guard Donovan Dent is entering the transfer portal Tuesday after leading the Lobos to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, according to multiple reports. Dent averaged 20.4 points and 6.4 assists and shot 40.9 percent from 3-point range in 35 games this season and won Mountain West Player of the Year honors. His 224 assists are second most in a season by a New Mexico player. Dent has 1,400 points, 493 assists and 131 steals in 104 games over three seasons. His assist total is seventh-best in program history. He reportedly will consider a return to New Mexico. However, a return probably is a long shot for a multi-faceted point guard who scores and passes at an elite level. Schools in power conferences will come calling with large offers for Dent, who will be one of the more sought-after talents in the portal. Dent led the Lobos to a 27-8 record -- the school's most wins since a 29-6 mark in 2012-13. New Mexico recorded a first-round NCAA Tournament win over Marquette before losing to Michigan State in the second round. Lobos guard Tru Washington also entered the portal, according to the Albuquerque Journal. Washington averaged 11.1 points and 4.0 rebounds in 34 games (33 starts) this season, his second with the Lobos. --Field Level Media Field Level Media 2023 - All Rights Reserved
Reuters
25-03-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
New Mexico star PG Donovan Dent entering transfer portal
March 25 - New Mexico standout point guard Donovan Dent is entering the transfer portal Tuesday after leading the Lobos to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, according to multiple reports. Dent averaged 20.4 points and 6.4 assists and shot 40.9 percent from 3-point range in 35 games this season and won Mountain West Player of the Year honors. His 224 assists are second most in a season by a New Mexico player. Dent has 1,400 points, 493 assists and 131 steals in 104 games over three seasons. His assist total is seventh-best in program history. He reportedly will consider a return to New Mexico. However, a return probably is a long shot for a multi-faceted point guard who scores and passes at an elite level. Schools in power conferences will come calling with large offers for Dent, who will be one of the more sought-after talents in the portal. Dent led the Lobos to a 27-8 record -- the school's most wins since a 29-6 mark in 2012-13. New Mexico recorded a first-round NCAA Tournament win over Marquette before losing to Michigan State in the second round. Lobos guard Tru Washington also entered the portal, according to the Albuquerque Journal. Washington averaged 11.1 points and 4.0 rebounds in 34 games (33 starts) this season, his second with the Lobos.
Fox Sports
22-03-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Michigan State hopes it can use its depth at guard to contain New Mexico's Donovan Dent
Associated Press CLEVELAND (AP) — Michigan State has emphasized strength in numbers all season, with 10 players averaging at least 10 minutes per game. The Spartans are hoping their depth, especially in the backcourt, can help them shut down one of the nation's top guards in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. New Mexico's Donovan Dent enters Sunday's South Region matchup in Cleveland with seven straight games of at least 20 points and five assists. Dent, the Mountain West Player of the Year, is averaging 20.6 points and 6.4 assists — the only Division I player with at least 20 and 6 in those categories. 'I just feel like throwing different guards at them is going to frustrate them, so we've just got to guard and then make them guard,' Spartans junior Tre Holloman said. Dent had 21 points and six assists in Friday night's 75-66 win over Marquette. He had 11 of the Lobos' 22 points in the final nine minutes as No. 10 seed New Mexico (28-6) picked up its first NCAA Tournament victory in 13 years. Dent also had eight turnovers, but coach Richard Pitino — who will try to advance farther in this year's tournament than his dad, St. John's coach Rick Pitino — didn't think that would carry over. 'He always rebounds pretty well from that. You've got to give Marquette credit; they're physical. Stevie Mitchell is just as good as it gets at on-the-ball defense and they had a great plan for Donovan,' Pitino said. 'I thought as the game went on, he got better and better, so he was able to adjust and adapt a little bit. He's been so very, very consistent in the three games or the three years I've had him, but he'll learn from them.' Senior Jaden Akins — a Big Ten all-defensive team selection — is likely to draw the assignment of guarding Dent. Sunday's slate The Lobos and Mississippi will be trying to end long stretches of failing to reach the Sweet 16. New Mexico has the most second-round appearances without advancing to the second weekend of March Madness since the field was expanded to 64 teams in 1985 with six. Michigan State (27-7) has made 17 Sweet 16 trips in the expanded field, including 15 under coach Tom Izzo. Ole Miss (23-11) faces Iowa State (25-9) in Milwaukee. The sixth-seeded Rebels are in the field for the first time in six years and have not been to a regional semifinal since 2001. Sunday's winners will meet Friday night in Atlanta. Former Big 12 foes meet again Iowa State's T.J. Otzelberger split a pair of games with Chris Beard's Texas teams during the 2021-22 season. So he has a pretty good idea what to expect now that he's facing off with a Beard-coached team again in Ole Miss. 'His teams always exemplify tremendous toughness and togetherness, and I think that shows,' Otzelberger said. 'Defensively, they're a very connected team. They communicate well. They play for one another on that side of the floor, most definitely. I think offensively the way they move and share the basketball, some of the motion concepts, those are similar things that he did that made him successful as a coach at all the places he's been.' Ole Miss forward Malik Dia can vouch for the ways Beard demands toughness. 'Coach Beard is probably the most intense coach I've ever played for, and I don't mean that in a bad way,' Dia said. 'That's a great thing. I think he's brought the best out in me each and every day. I can never say there's a day that I can come in and be chill or cool. He's going to get the most out of me every day. And if he sees that we're not bringing it, he's definitely going to get it out of you.' Dia is on his third team in as many seasons, joining Ole Miss after spending 2022-23 at Vanderbilt and 2023-24 at Belmont. 'Not any knock on the past schools I was at, but transitioning from Belmont to Ole Miss with coach Beard is super different,' Dia said. 'I feel like a lot more things are ran a lot more effectively here and things are going as planned, and coach Beard is going to make sure everything is right.' Beard said Ole Miss will have to be as tough as possible simply to match Iowa State. 'Their team has an identity, doesn't take long to figure it out,' Beard said. 'They're physical. They're connected. They're hard-playing guys. I think it's a great coaching fit: T.J. with Iowa State." ___ AP Sports Writer Steve Megargee in Milwaukee contributed to this report. ___ AP March Madness bracket: and coverage: Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. recommended
