Gonzaga Can Now Pursue Donovan Dent and Xaivian Lee

Bulldogs’ Top Transfer Guard Targets Are Now Eligible for the 2026-27 Season

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs have received a major boost in their pursuit of an elite point guard through the transfer portal.

A California judge granted a temporary restraining order Tuesday involving 73 plaintiffs, allowing those players to compete during the 2026-27 season while the NCAA’s appeal remains pending.

Two of the players covered by the ruling are Gonzaga targets Donovan Dent and Xaivian Lee, who previously played for UCLA and Florida, respectively. Lee has confirmed that he intends to enter the transfer portal, while Dent has previously indicated he plans to do the same.

The TRO also establishes a transfer portal window that runs through August 24.

Several other prominent players are included in the ruling, including Jordan Pope, Aidan Mahaney, Moe Odum, Oziyah Sellers and Jaxon Kohler. Former Gonzaga women’s basketball starter Ines Bettencourt is also among the players seeking another season of eligibility.

What the California Ruling Means for Gonzaga

Gonzaga has been searching for a high-level point guard since Mario Saint-Supery unexpectedly decided to return to Spain in July after spending more than a month working out in Spokane.

Dent and Lee have both been on Gonzaga’s radar, but neither player previously had a clear path to transfer and play for the Bulldogs this season.

A federal ruling in Colorado granted an additional year of eligibility to players from the 2022 high school recruiting class, which included both Dent and Lee. However, those players were only permitted to transfer if they had already entered the portal during the April window. Neither Dent nor Lee had done so.

The California TRO changes that situation by giving the plaintiffs the opportunity to enter the portal and transfer without the previous restrictions.

If the NCAA fails to overturn the ruling, Dent and Lee could potentially transfer and play immediately without facing a penalty.

There is still some uncertainty, however.

Lee participated in the NBA Summer League and reportedly may have signed an Exhibit 10 contract. It remains unclear whether the California ruling has any impact on his eligibility from that standpoint.

There is also a precedent that should concern Gonzaga and the other players involved. The NCAA has appealed a similar injunction issued in Ohio, and the Ohio Court of Appeals granted a stay, temporarily making the players covered by that ruling ineligible while the appeal proceeds.

The same outcome is not guaranteed in California, but the current TRO does not ensure that every player involved will ultimately be eligible this season.

How Dent and Lee Could Fit at Gonzaga

Both Dent and Lee would address one of Gonzaga’s biggest needs: a proven point guard capable of creating offense and setting up teammates.

Donovan Dent established himself as one of the nation’s best guards during his time at New Mexico. He won Mountain West Player of the Year in 2024-25 after averaging 20.4 points and 6.4 assists per game before transferring to UCLA.

His scoring production declined last season, and he shot just 25.6% from three-point range. However, Dent remained an outstanding playmaker, averaging 7.6 assists while committing only 1.8 turnovers per game. That assist-to-turnover mark ranked among the best in the country.

Lee brings a similarly impressive résumé.

At Princeton, he averaged 16.9 points and 5.5 assists as a junior before transferring to Florida, where he took over the starting point guard role following Walter Clayton Jr.’s departure.

Lee also struggled from three-point range, shooting 29.2%, but he averaged 4.2 assists and made noticeable strides defensively while competing in the SEC.

Either guard would give Gonzaga another dynamic creator and could significantly strengthen an already talented roster featuring sophomore Davis Fogle, Florida State transfer Chauncey Wiggins, senior Braden Huff and Arizona State transfer Massamba Diop.

Gonzaga Already Has Another New Point Guard

The Bulldogs are not completely dependent on the California ruling.

Gonzaga added Javon Bennett from Dayton, another experienced point guard who will remain eligible even if the Ohio lawsuit ultimately fails on appeal because he entered the transfer portal during the April window.

Bennett joins Houston transfer Isiah Harwell, St. Francis transfer Skylar Wicks and freshmen Luca Foster and Juwan Ekanga-Ehawa in a deep Gonzaga backcourt.

Adding either Dent or Lee would take that group to another level.

If Gonzaga can land one of its two elite point guard targets, the Bulldogs could enter the 2026-27 season with one of the deepest and most talented backcourts in college basketball.