UCLA’s Dent Comments on Recent Offensive Improvement

With one final chance to prove to the country and the rest of the Big Ten that they belong, who else would step up as Donovan Dent did?

As he’s done all season, Dent came up big for the Bruins once again in their 89-68 victory over USC to close out the regular season. Dent scored 25 points (19 in the second-half) on 11-15 shooting with 7 assists to go along with it. Over the final five games of the regular season, Dent dished out 53 assists with just two turnovers, an incredible 26.5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Mar 7, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Donovan Dent (2) shoots the ball against Southern California Trojans forward Jacob Cofie (6) first half at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Dent’s Notable Performances

Dent has had a knack for coming up big in some of UCLA’s most important games. Against #4 Purdue, Dent scored 23 points and 13 assists in a 69-67 upset victory.

He flashed his heroics again with a 14-point, 15-assist showing against #10 Illinois that also saw Dent sink the game-winning layup as time expired in overtime. Now, Dent gives UCLA an extra boost heading into the Big Ten Tournament.

Feb 24, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Donovan Dent (2) drives to the basket past Southern California Trojans center Gabe Dynes (45) during the second half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

While he hasn’t quite had the season he had hoped for after transferring from New Mexico this past offseason, if he continues to play the way he has recently, UCLA can’t be counted as a dangerous team in the NCAA Tournament, no matter where they are seeded.

After his performance against USC, Dent talked about his recent level of play and the impact it has had on the rest of the team.

Mar 7, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Donovan Dent (2) shoots the ball against the Southern California Trojans in the first half at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Dent’s Thoughts

“Just, coach, trusting the ball in my hands,” Dent said. “My teammates getting open, me making the right read. It’s very smooth to get assists when I have people shooting 40 percent from three. Just makes my life easier. I think I just got more and more comfortable as the season went on. Now, I just feel good with the ball in my hands. Making the right read every time.”

“The team trusts me with every read I make, shot or pass,” he added. “I love that, it makes it easy for me.”

Mar 3, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Donovan Dent (2) drives to the basket as Nebraska Cornhuskers forward Braden Frager (5) tries to defend during the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

Dent and the Bruins will look to put together a strong performance in the Big Ten Tournament, where they will be the 6-seed. The Bruins should have a strong enough resume to earn a favorable seed in the NCAA Tournament, but a strong showing in their conference tournament could do them some favors come Selection Sunday.