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By Jason Fray
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It may have taken a while, but UCLA point guard Donovan Dent has been playing at a level many expected when signing with the Bruins in the offseason.
Dent, a Southern California native, spent three seasons at New Mexico before transferring back home for his senior year. UCLA is the most accomplished and prestigious program in the history of college basketball — and as such the pressure was immediately on Dent to function as the team's de facto leader on the floor.
The season didn't start smoothly. There was a visible adjustment in playing under Mick Cronin. Cronin calls plays on virtually every possession. UCLA's offense is predicated on efficiency and not turning the ball over. At New Mexico, Dent had free reign to run in transition early and often. That's not the case in Westwood.
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Dent's body language early on in the year was visibly poor. He look disinterested, and at times emotionless on the court. Whether it was the pressure to perform in front of family and friends on a much larger stage, or acclimating to Cronin ball, Dent looked like a real disappointment through the first half of the season.
However, the light has started to turn on — and it's beaming brighter than ever.
It all started on Jan. 20 versus Purdue. The matchup pitted Dent versus Braden Smith. Smith, widely regarded as one of the best guards in the country, went 5-of-13 in that contest (12 points, four assists, four turnovers). He was largely ineffecive for large stretches of the contest.
Dent, on the other hand, scored 23 points and accrued up 13 assists on 10-of-18 from the floor. This was the turning point for his season (as the Bruins won the game 69-67).
Since then, Dent's mastery of the offense is a sight to behold. If he's not living in the lane and kicking the ball to open teammates for wide-open threes, he's punishing defenders off the dribble en route to the basket. Dent's ability to finish in traffic has taken a major leap over the last six weeks. The same can be said for his perimeter shooting (Dent is shooting .529 from three-point range over his last six games).
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The most starting stat includes his assist-to-turnover ratio. Over the last seven games, Dent has compiled 77 assists to only six turnovers. It's resulted in UCLA's offense being objectively elite during this stretch.
Dent's confidence is sky-high at the moment — evidenced by his domination of Michigan State in the Quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament. Dent scored 23 points to go along with 12 assists and six rebounds. This came on the back of a game the night before versus Rutgers, where he accrued a triple-double — the first in Big Ten Tournament history (12 points, 12 assists, 10 rebounds).
Since going with a smaller five-out lineup, UCLA has been nearly impossible to guard. All five of the starters — including Trent Perry, Skyy Clark, Tyler Bilodeau, and Eric Dailey Jr. — can all create for themselves. Bilodeau is one of the best shooting big men nationally. Clark is dependable as they come as a two-way player. Perry has blossomed into a legitimate NBA prospect. Dailey Jr. has a bag of tricks to pull from, whether in the post, off the dribble, or in the mid-range with his patented step-back jumper.
The defense as a whole has improved primarily based on effort. Though UCLA struggles to rebound, rim-protect, and limit second chances, the enhanced quickness and utilization of depth have enabled the team to fight with a real verve not seen for much of the year. The Bruins may not be a quintessential Cronin team defensively, but the energy on that end of the floor has seen dramatic improvement.
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When further adding the toughness of Brandon Williams and Steven Jamerson, the length and floor spacing of Xavier Booker, the hustle of Jamar Brown, and the newfound defensive prowess of Eric Freeny, this team is suddenly a very scary matchup for any team in the NCAA Tournament.
UCLA will play Purdue in the Semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament on Saturday. With Bilodeau likely out due to a knee sprain sustained in the first half of Friday's win. The Bruins most certainly have a legitimate chance to win even without their star forward.
If Cronin's team does lose, it's not too big a deal in the grand scheme of things. Bilodeau and the rest of the team can get extended rest ahead of next week's first round. Remember, UCLA has now beaten four top-10 teams this season (Purdue, Illinois, Nebraska, Michigan State) and still has underachieved relative to expectations.
Likely entering the field underseeded relative to its talent level, UCLA will be no picnic for whoever it faces in the first round.
Dent is the straw stirring this potent drink, and it's one Cronin will gladly indulge in.
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