LSU Guard Donovan Dent Leads Tigers Under Will Wade
The former UCLA transfer and his temporarily eligible teammate Skyy Clark are central to LSU's season as Wade opens his second term.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Basketball
LSU point guard Donovan Dent, a fifth-year senior transfer from UCLA, is playing for the Tigers under coach Will Wade, joined by shooting guard Skyy Clark, another UCLA transfer considered temporarily eligible. Dent had 24 points and nine assists in LSU's exhibition loss at Florida State, and 21 points and 11 assists in a win over Central Florida.
Why it matters
Dent and Clark joined LSU through lawsuits against the NCAA over eligibility rules, after the NCAA did not grandfather in players who began their college careers in 2022-23. Their status under restraining orders leaves LSU's roster dependent on the outcome of ongoing litigation.
Dent shot 9-of-17 in LSU's 89-87 exhibition loss at Florida State, where he also threw a turnover with 2.1 seconds left. Clark shot 42 percent from three-point range at UCLA, and his temporary eligibility depends on restraining orders against the NCAA.
The players
Will Wade
Wade coached LSU from 2017 to 2022 before being fired for major recruiting violations, and returned to the program in March 2025 after leaving North Carolina State.
Donovan Dent
Dent is a fifth-year senior point guard who transferred from UCLA to LSU and previously began his college career at New Mexico.
Skyy Clark
Clark is a fifth-year shooting guard who transferred from UCLA to LSU and is considered temporarily eligible under a restraining order against the NCAA.
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association governs college sports eligibility and changed its five-in-five rule in June 2025.
The details
Dent, who began at New Mexico in 2022-23 before transferring to UCLA, traveled about 1,800 miles from his home to Baton Rouge. LSU opened the exhibition season with a 63-60 win over McNeese State on Oct. 8, followed by an 85-81 win over Central Florida on Oct. 14.
Timeline
Oct. 8, 2025: LSU beats McNeese State 63-60 in its exhibition opener.
Oct. 14, 2025: LSU beats Central Florida 85-81.
June 2025: The NCAA changes its eligibility rule to five seasons in five years.
Tuesday: Wade opens his second term against LSU-New Orleans.
Season Trajectory
The NCAA's June 2025 five-in-five eligibility rule reshaped roster building across college basketball, and LSU's use of transfers who sued to play shows how the rule's grandfathering gaps are being tested in court. The outcome of those cases will influence how much LSU can rely on Dent and Clark as the season progresses.
Fantasy managers tracking college basketball should note Dent's 21-point, 11-assist game against Central Florida as an early indicator of his role. Fans can follow LSU's upcoming home schedule to see how the roster performs once games count.
The takeaway
Eligibility litigation is becoming a central factor in college roster planning, and LSU's season will show how much a team can depend on players whose status depends on court rulings. Readers following the Tigers should watch both the on-court results and any further NCAA legal developments.
What happens next
Wade opens his second term against LSU-New Orleans on Tuesday, the next scheduled game in the stub.
Further reading
For more on the team's roster and season, see Basketball coverage for Baton Rouge.
Source note: This article includes information reported by TigerRag.com - The Bible of LSU Sports.
