Kentucky’s offseason watch list has picked up a familiar name, and this time it really is new.
Donovan Dent, who had once been linked heavily to the Wildcats before landing with Mick Cronin and UCLA, is again on Kentucky’s radar, according to Jack Pilgrim of KSR. Pilgrim noted that Dent is a player Kentucky is “keeping an eye on,” alongside several other targets the program has already been connected to.
That name will ring a bell for Big Blue Nation. Last offseason, there was a real stretch when plenty of Kentucky fans believed Dent might wind up as PG1 for the Wildcats heading into the next season.
As the process dragged on, and the money climbed, Kentucky lost out on the New Mexico transfer. A year later, Dent had exhausted his eligibility and retired after spending one season with Cronin.
Now the picture has changed again. With the recent extension of 5-for-5 eligibility to the class of 2022, Dent is back in play.
He’s not the same kind of fit as the other names Kentucky has been tied to. Mark Mitchell, Jaxon Kohler, Cade Tyson and Keyshawn Hall all share one obvious trait: size. They’re different players, but each would most likely slide into the 2026-27 Wildcats’ power forward spot and start right away.
Dent would bring something else entirely. He’s a true point guard, and that matters because Kentucky’s backcourt already appears to be in place with Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins holding down the point guard and shooting guard spots. If Kentucky seriously pursues Dent, it would suggest one of two things: the staff has concerns about the backcourt, or Dent is simply such a high-level player that they won’t let him get away no matter what it takes.
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Baxter has framed the comeback as humbling, a reminder of how far he had to climb just to get back on the field. He did not weigh in on Steve Sarkisians comments about letting players go, keeping the focus on his own return and the opportunity in front of him. For Kentucky, the appeal is straightforward: if Baxter can stay healthy and find his rhythm, the Wildcats may have a back capable of making life a little harder on the leagues defenses. [Read more 🡒]