Donovan Dent’s Early Struggles at UCLA: A Slump, a Reset, and the Road Back
LOS ANGELES - When Donovan Dent made the move to UCLA for his senior season, part of the draw wasn’t just the spotlight of Westwood or the chance to compete on a bigger stage. It was proximity.
If things went sideways, he could hop in the car, head an hour east to Riverside, and reset. Seven games in, that escape route has already come in handy.
Dent recently returned to his roots, back to Corona Centennial High School, where he once commanded the floor and built the reputation that made him a top transfer target. He wasn’t there for a victory lap. He was there to get real.
In the coaches’ office, surrounded by the guys who helped shape him - including longtime trainer and assistant coach Shannon Sharpe - there was no sugarcoating.
“What, are you afraid to shoot the ball now, Donny?” Sharpe asked, straight-faced. “What’s the matter, you can’t make a free throw now?”
Dent didn’t deflect. He didn’t make excuses. He owned it.
“Man,” he said. “This is the worst I’ve ever shot it.
This is the worst I’ve ever played. I don’t know what the hell is going on.”
Through seven games, the numbers back him up. Dent is averaging 11 points per game, shooting just 36% from the field, a rough 9.1% from deep, and 56.7% from the free-throw line. For a player who’s used to being in control, this stretch has been anything but.
There’s a lot feeding into the funk - the pressure of being a high-profile transfer, the expectations that come with NIL deals, a new system, a new coach, new teammates, and yes, some nagging injuries. It’s a lot. And right now, it’s showing.
“The worst thing you can do as a player,” said Joshua Giles, Dent’s former high school coach, “is let things snowball.”
And that’s exactly what’s happening. Dent, who had a steady rise over three seasons at New Mexico, is now facing his first real bout of adversity at the college level.
With the Lobos, he was the engine - the guy with the green light, the one his team lived and died with. At UCLA, it’s different.
He’s part of a system, not the center of it. And that adjustment has been jarring.
At New Mexico, Dent thrived in transition. The Lobos embraced his pace, encouraged his instincts, and let him run wild.
That freedom led to big numbers and even bigger moments. At UCLA, under Mick Cronin, the tempo is dialed down.
It’s about control, efficiency, and defense. Dent has to earn his freedom - and right now, he’s still working to gain Cronin’s trust.
“Donny’s not at New Mexico, where there was a comfort level,” Giles said. “He was the guy there.
He’s not coming out of the game if he misses a defensive rotation. Now, you’re at a high major.
This is UCLA. You’re under a microscope.”
Cronin himself has admitted he hasn’t quite found the right buttons to push. He’s never coached a point guard who thrives on speed the way Dent does. The two are still learning each other - and with Big Ten play starting Wednesday night at Washington, the clock is ticking.
Sharpe and Giles aren’t pointing fingers at Cronin, though. They’re looking straight at Dent. They’ve watched every minute, and they’re not shy about what they’re seeing: a player who looks hesitant, who’s pressing, who isn’t playing like himself.
Dent started the season strong with solid games against Eastern Washington and Pepperdine. But after missing the West Georgia matchup with a muscle strain, things have gone south.
He hasn’t hit a three-pointer since returning. He’s 6-for-16 from the free-throw line over that span.
And in Tuesday’s stunning loss to Cal, he turned the ball over six times, sat during a key stretch of the Bruins’ comeback, and re-entered only to miss a crucial shot and commit a costly turnover.
He’s facing defensive looks he’s seen before - blitzes on the perimeter, clogged lanes - but he’s reacting instead of reading. He’s not trusting his jumper.
He’s missing the big man on the short roll. The game’s moving fast, and right now, Dent’s a step behind.
Still, Sharpe and Giles aren’t panicking. They’ve seen this kid at his best.
They know what he’s capable of. To them, this isn’t a crisis - it’s a slump.
And the way out? It starts with remembering who you are.
“Feed yourself that positive energy of the type of player that you are capable of being,” Sharpe said.
He told Dent to go back and watch the tape - specifically, last season’s 40-point explosion against VCU. Not for nostalgia, but to remind himself of what’s in the tank.
“Nobody is more (ticked) off and more affected by how he’s playing than Donovan is,” Giles said. “I think he would do himself a huge favor if he took a deep breath… If you got to get in an empty gym by yourself and get some shots up, if you got to break something in anger to let it out, go do that. And then just relax and go be Donovan Dent.”
That’s the beauty of Dent’s decision to come home. When it gets heavy, he can drive back to where it all started. He can reset, refocus, and get back to work - away from the noise, back in the gym that built him.
The time to lean into that comfort? It’s now.
UCLA at Washington
When: 7 p.m.
Wednesday
Where: American Airlines Arena, Seattle
TV/Radio: Big Ten Network / 790 AM