Donovan Dent arrived in Westwood with plenty of buzz-and for good reason. The former Mountain West Player of the Year at New Mexico was expected to inject scoring punch and veteran savvy into a UCLA team that already had some intriguing pieces in place.
With returners like Tyler Bilodeau, Skyy Clark, and Eric Dailey Jr., the Bruins looked like a squad ready to make serious noise in their first full Big Ten campaign. In fact, they were flirting with top-10 preseason odds to hang a 12th national championship banner in Pauley Pavilion.
Early on, Dent looked every bit the impact transfer. He opened the season with a 21-point, nine-assist performance against Eastern Washington-an outing that showcased his ability to both score and orchestrate.
But as the schedule toughened and the Bruins settled into the grind of a new conference, Dent hit a wall. His shooting dipped, his confidence wavered, and the numbers followed suit.
There was a rough patch that included a three-point showing against Cal and a scoreless night versus Penn State, where he combined to shoot just 1-for-14 from the field. That’s a tough stretch for any player, let alone one brought in to be a stabilizing force.
His overall field goal percentage dropped to 41.7%-a notable dip from his three-year average at New Mexico, where he hovered around 50%. At one point, his three-point shooting had cratered below 10%.
But give Dent credit-he’s responded. Over the past few weeks, he’s found his rhythm again. His shooting percentage has climbed from the high-30s to the low-40s, and while his three-point shot is still a work in progress, he’s up to 20% from deep-an improvement that reflects both better shot selection and growing confidence.
More importantly, Dent has been consistent. He’s scored at least 13 points in each of his last seven games, and he’s doing more than just putting the ball in the basket.
He’s running the show with poise and precision, averaging a career-best 7.1 assists per game. That mark ranks him third in the Big Ten, trailing only Michigan State’s Jeremy Fears (9.1) and Purdue’s Braden Smith (8.8).
It’s a testament to how well he’s adjusted to the pace and physicality of Big Ten basketball.
The Bruins are now entering a critical stretch-seven games left in the regular season, with their NCAA tournament hopes hanging in the balance. They likely need to go at least 4-3 the rest of the way, and that includes stealing a win against a ranked opponent and taking care of business against USC (twice) and Minnesota.
For UCLA to punch its ticket to March Madness, Dent will need to keep playing his most efficient basketball of the season. His ability to control tempo, create for teammates, and chip in scoring will be central to whatever identity this Bruins team carves out down the stretch.
The early season struggles are in the rearview. Now it’s about whether Dent can be the engine that drives UCLA to a strong finish-and potentially a postseason run.