After Wooden retired, UCLA held on, but two-year tenures of Gene Bartow, Gary Cunningham and Larry Brown would hurt program stability, leading to the end. UNLV had the power for a while, becoming the first West Coast national champions since Wooden's final year,

Former Corona Centennial and New Mexico standout Donovan Dent is transferring to UCLA, giving the Bruins a dynamic playmaker to bolster their title aspirations.

Dent returns back to his home state after a breakout season with the Lobos where he earned Player of the Year honors in the MWC