Grading Donovan Dent's Bench Performance in UCLA vs Sac State

The Bruins' star guard had to take the back seat as a part of Mick Cronin's statement move.

Nov 18, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Donovan Dent (2) is defended by Sacramento State Hornets guard Jahni Summers (4) during the second half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins are only competing against themselves through five games this season.

A 79-48 blowout win over Sacramento State on Tuesday didn't come easy. The Bruins had to look themselves in the mirror with the help of coach Mick Cronin benching four of his regular starters. Eric Dailey Jr. was the only regular starter to take the floor.

Starting alongside him were Trent Perry, Jamar Brown, Brandon Williams and Steven Jamerson II, and the message was received. They set the tone by not allowing the Hornets to score in the first six minutes of the game. Once the regular starters took the floor (Donovan Dent came in five more minutes after them), the tone remained.

UCLA's two remaining starters struggled all night. Forward Tyler Bilodeau fouled out after 18 minutes of play and finished with just six points. Dent's shooting struggles continued as he scored just five points on 2-of-9 shooting (0-3 3PT), but added seven assists.

When Will Dent's Struggles Be a Concern?

Nov 18, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Donovan Dent (2) scores past Sacramento State Hornets guard Mikey Williams (1) during the second half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Dent was pegged as one of the best watches in college basketball after his stellar debut against Eastern Washington. But he's since struggled to find the bottom of the bucket.

The star guard scored just five points on 2-of-9 shooting from the field and 0-of-3 from beyond the arc. It marks a string of games where he's struggling to shoot.

It's early in the season, so there's that. But we've already seen Dent light it up as a scorer this season. Once he is able to start making shots fall, UCLA's offense will go up another level.

Dent's shooting struggles, although puzzling, put UCLA's offense in a state of limbo. When you watch the game, you can see just how important the guard is to generating offense and setting up his teammates, but the missed shots are also frustrating, especially the free throws.

Regardless of his making or missing shots, his gravity is undeniable. Dent's ability to generate multiple defenders on a pick-and-roll gives the Bruins 3-4 different options on offense. It just so happens that one of those options is absent when he is missing his shots.

I think this was his worst game of the season, but he was still one of the most important players on the floor, despite coming in eight minutes into the game. I don't think Dent is the main target in Cronin's messaging. I think he simply needs to start making shots.

Nov 3, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin talks to guard Donovan Dent (2) during the second half against the Eastern Washington Eagles at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

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