ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – When he announced that he was leaving New Mexico for UCLA, Donovan Dent broke hearts in Loboland. The former UNM star guard is back in Albuquerque this week, visiting his girlfriend and getting up some shots at ABC Prep. Dent said he is excited about his future, but did admit that leaving was not easy. The departure of then-head coach Richard Pitino factored into his decision. “It was extremely tough for me,” said Dent. “It took a lot of talking to my family, just to my people, my inner circle. It was a very tough move for me. I told them when I burst into the portal, I told coach there was a chance I would return, but once he kind of was out, I felt like it was the right time for me to go. So, it was the best decision for me, but very tough one.”
Dent said he will cherish the memories he made in three seasons with the Lobos. He said he will also miss the fans. “The people I met here, the fans, my girlfriend, like everything about it,” said Dent. “The Pit is one of one too. Like, there’s no other floor, I think, I will ever play that is like that. The love that you get from fans here, like, just growing up here was a big part of my life, and I love it.”
Dent will have one year to play at UCLA. He hopes to play in the NBA in the future…