Grading Donovan Dent's UCLA Bruins Debut

The transfer guard did not disappoint despite a lackluster outing from the Bruins as a whole.

Nov 3, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Donovan Dent (2) dribbles the ball against Eastern Washington Eagles guard Johnny Radford (21) during the second half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

UCLA Bruins (1-0, 0-0 Big Ten) star point guard was just as good as advertised in his Bruins debut, but the stellar performance was overshadowed by an overall lackluster group outing in UCLA's 80-74 win over Eastern Washington to open the season.

The Bruins led by as much as 15 points in the second half as the offense struggled to get anything consistent going for the better part of both halves. The Big Sky's eagles continued their gritty effort and brought the game to within six points as the buzzer sounded.

Dent led UCLA with 21 points, four rebounds and nine assists on 8-of-17 shooting. The transfer guard's first half is what kept EWU from assuming control over the game. Dent's play faltered in the second half, but just because other UCLA contributors started finding shots.

Despite the win, you wouldn't expect Mick Cronin to be proud with how the Bruins performed in this game. UCLA matches up with Pepperdine at home on Friday at 7 p.m. PT on Big Ten Network.

Nov 3, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Donovan Dent (2) drives to the basket between Eastern Washington Eagles guard Cole Scherer (11) and guard Alton Hamilton IV (4) during the second half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

It's just game one, but if this one is any indication of how Dent's season will play out, Westwood is housing one of the best players in the nation. With that being said, let's get into our grade of Dent's performance against EWU.

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Donovan Dent's Statline vs. Eastern Washington

• 21 points
• 4 rebounds
• 9 assists
• 1 turnover
• 1 steal
• 8-17 (47.1%) FG
• 1-3 (33.3%) 3PT
• 4-4 (100.0%) FT
• 36 minutes

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Donovan Dent's Grade vs. Eastern Washington

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

Between controlling the pace on offense, finding his own shots and deferring to his teammates when needed, and even competing both on and off the ball on defense, it's evident that Westwood has one of the best basketball players in the country.

Dent's second half difference wasn't much of his fault either. He simply didn't need to dominate the ball as often as other Bruins began to contribute. That's his game; dictating what happens and who contributes when they need to.

It may not have been the best overall performance from UCLA against the Eagles on Monday night, but Dent's performance was undeniably good. It's a long season, but we're going to keep our standards high for the star guard this year.

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