What Donovan Dent Had to Say About the Bruins

Donovan Dent played one of his better games of the season against No. 8 Gonzaga. Here is what he said following the game.

Donovan Dent is still ironing out a few kinks in his game, but his growing comfort was evident throughout the night. Dent finished with 12 points on 50 percent shooting and posted a season-high 10 assists. Here’s what he had to say following the loss.

Dent on Bruins' Defensive Struggles

The biggest issue for the Bruins wasn’t the offense — which turned in one of its stronger performances of the season — but the defense, which had no answer for the Bulldogs’ scoring attack. Following the loss, Donovan Dent reflected on UCLA’s defensive struggles.

We knew coming into this game that they wanted to score a lot of points in the paint, like we know they lead the country in it, and we preached on it all week in practice. And we just we didn't come out and do our job in guarding the paint that well tonight
Donovan Dent on Defensive Struggles

Dent on Gonzaga's Defensive Adjustments

Dec 13, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Donovan Dent (2) shoots the ball while guarded by Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Mario Saint-Supery (17) during the second half at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

After the Bruins went on a 9-0 scoring run in the middle of the second half, it prompted a Gonzaga timeout. After the timeout the Bruins' offense would look lost, and this would allow the Bulldogs to get the lead back, and ultimately win the game.

They did a good job switching up that zone. I think it slowed us down a good amount. There was like a three-minute stretch they switched in that zone. I think that's kind of when the game separated a little bit. They did a good job switching up, and we weren't quite ready for their zone there. So that's on us. We have to be better there.
Dent on Offensive Struggles

Dent on His Confidence Rising

Nov 7, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Donovan Dent (2) shoots a free throw during the second half against the Pepperdine Waves at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Earlier in the season, Donovan Dent was dealing with both mental and physical challenges. Over the past three games, however, he has scored in double figures on efficient shooting — a trend the Bruins have been hoping to see. You can really tell that a switch has flipped for Dent.

Yeah, I mean, absolutely. Like, I know what kind of player I am, so I just want to get back to that kind of. I had a bit of a mental stretch there, a little bit at the start of the season. Coach just put full faith behind me, so, like, just getting me back up and stuff. I just want to keep building in the right direction and we want to win.
Donovan Dent

Donovan Dent is clearly trending in the right direction. If this growth continues, a 20-points-per-game scorer may be on the horizon — it feels more like a matter of when, not if, for the Bruins’ star.

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