UCLA's Donovan Dent Is Falling Out of NBA Draft Contention. Why?

Heading into the season, the Bruins had an All-American candidate in the form of Dent. Now, he's struggling to find the same production people expected.

Wisconsin guard Nick Boyd (2) guards UCLA guard Donovan Dent (2) during the first half of their game Tuesday, January 6, 2026 at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins had lofty expectations heading into the 2025-26 college basketball season. They found themselves in the preseason AP Top 25, largely due to the arrival of star point guard Donovan Dent.

Fast forward to January, and the Bruins are 10-5 and 2-2 in the Big Ten, most recently suffering an ugly loss to Wisconsin in Madison. There's a lot to be concerned with regarding the team's overall performance, but from an NBA Draft perspective, Dent has been a bit disappointing so far.

The 6-foot-2 was projected anywhere from the late first round to the early second round before the start of the season. Now, he isn't featured on Draft Digest's 2026 NBA Big Board and ranks 82nd on The Athletic's top 100 prospects, as of Jan. 7.

Dent is averaging 13.5 points and 6.5 assists per game on 43.2% shooting from the field, which aren't necessarily bad for college basketball's standards. However, the weaknesses noted before the season have been glaring as of today, specifically regarding his jumper.

The senior is shooting 9.1% from three on 1.6 attempts per game. He isn't prone to shoot deep shots by any means, but when range is a major flaw for a point guard, NBA scouts are turned off.

Dent's lack of a jumper is a big reason why it's so easy for opponents to stop him in the scoring department. Against Wisconsin, he played all 40 minutes, scoring just 13 points on 5-for-9 shooting from the field. It was extremely easy for Nick Boyd (ranked one spot ahead of him on The Athletic's prospect list) and other Badger defenders to stop him.

The bright side is that Dent's playmaking is some of the best in the conference. His vision is so advanced, able to make skip passes out of midair or on the ground. When he gets into the paint, his wings start to collapse, which frees up the Bruins on the wing and in the corners.

There's still plenty of time for Dent and UCLA to get back on track, individually and as a team. He's still had some notable performances, including a few instances of hitting a double-double in points and assists. There are nights when he can be uber-aggressive, but other times he is easily taken out of possessions.

Keep an eye on the Bruins as they play out the second half of the regular season. They have the potential to make the NCAA Tournament, but it will come largely due to Dent's production as a scorer and playmaker.