UCLA Guard Earns Spot on Elite Award Watch List

The Bruins' star point guard is one of the biggest names to watch this season.

Dec 28, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin talks to Tyler Bilodeau (34), Kobe Johnson (0), Dylan Andrews (2) and Eric Dailey Jr. (3) in the first half against the Gonzaga Bulldogs during a college basketball game at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins men's basketball team is entering the 2025-26 season as the No. 12 team in the AP preseason top 25, and much of the hype around Westwood stems from the addition of reigning Mountain West Player of the Year and former New Mexico guard Donovan Dent.

Dent has long been pegged as the most impactful transfer addition of the college basketball offseason, and he's landed on a plethora of preseason lists, adding yet another one to his catalog on Monday.

Dent was selected to the Bob Cousy Award watch list, which honors the nation's best point guard at the end of the year. The 6-foot-2 guard is a dynamic, scoring playmaker that Mick Cronin hasn't quite had in his tenure coaching the Bruins.

Here is the full list of players joining Dent as the 2025-26 Bob Cousy Award candidates:

Labaron Philon (Alabama)
Darius Acuff (Arkansas)
Tahaa Pettiford (Auburn)
Robert Wright III (BYU)
Boogie Fland (Florida)
Milos Uzan (Houston)
Bennett Stirtz (Iowa)
Tamin Lipsey (Iowa State)
Darryn Peterson (Kansas)
Jalan Lowe (Kentucky)
Mikel Brown (Louisville)
Elliot Cadeau (Michigan)
Josh Hubbard (Mississippi State)
Markus Burton (Notre Dame)
Bruce Thornton (Ohio State)
Braden Smith (Purdue)
Ja'kobi Gillespie (Tennessee)
Christian Anderson (Texas Tech)
Donovan Dent (UCLA)
Silas Demary (UConn)

Mar 23, 2025; Cleveland, OH, USA; New Mexico Lobos guard Donovan Dent (2) dribbles the ball defended by Michigan State Spartans guard Jeremy Fears Jr. (1) in the second half during the NCAA Tournament Second Round at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Dent's UCLA tenure officially begins on Monday, Nov. 3, against Eastern Washington in Pauley Pavilion at 7:30 p.m. PT, but before that, the Bruins are playing their second and final preseason exhibition game against the UC Irvine Anteaters on Tuesday at 7 p.m. PT in Westwood.

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How to Watch

What: UCLA Bruins vs. UC Irvine Anteaters
When: Tuesday, Oct. 28
Time: 7:00 p.m. (PT)
Where: Pauley Pavilion (Westwood, California)
TV: B1G+
Announcers: Nick Koop (PxP), Gio Camera (analyst)
Radio: AM 790 (KABC)

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Dent, as dynamic as he is, will be just one half of what projects to be an elite Bruins backcourt. His backcourt mate, Skyy Clark, has been turning heads all offseason. In their 67-60 win over the Aztecs on Friday, Dent finished with 18 points and three assists and Clark ended with 13 points and four rebounds.

Clark Impressing Coaches With Elite Preseason Form

Mar 22, 2025; Lexington, KY, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Skyy Clark (55) handles the ball during the first half against the Tennessee Volunteers in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Rupp Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Between the star acquisition of Dent and the maintained continuity with veterans like Tyler Bilodeau and Eric Dailey Jr., one name that's buzzing out of the Bruins' preseason is senior guard Skyy Clark.

College basketball insider for CBS Sports, Jon Rothstein, reported that his phone has been blowing up with Clark's name at the forefront.

"Highly placed spies in Westwood continue to send word that Skyy Clark is playing at an elite level for UCLA," Rothstein said in an X (formerly Twitter) post. "Averaged 10.5 PPG and shot 50% from 3 in the Bruins' final 17 games of last season. And that came without a PG like Donovan Dent."

Oct 9, 2025; Rosemont, IL, USA; UCLA head coach Mick Cronin speaks during Big Ten Men’s Basketball Media Days at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Talia Sprague-Imagn Images | Talia Sprague-Imagn Images

Mixing a potential leap for Clark this year with the Dent addition means the Bruins may be in store for a real quality season. UCLA is already pegged as the No. 12 team on the official preseason AP Top 25 poll.

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