Mar 8, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin (center) talks with guard Skyy Clark (55) and guard Lazar Stefanovic (10) in the second half against the Southern California Trojans at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Insider: Cronin’s Never Had a Point Guard Like This

Originally posted on UCLA Bruins on SI | By Connor Moreno | Last updated Jul 30, 2025 9:00 AM ET

No player in college basketball's transfer portal raised his new team's ceiling quite like New Mexico transfer point guard Donovan Dent did to the UCLA Bruins.

Not only did he raise Mick Cronin's squad's ceiling, he impressed a ton of national media pundits, including CBS Sports college basketball insider Jon Rothstein, who came away from his Westwood visit thoroughly impressed and lamented Dent as one of Cronin's best point guards ever.

"Mick Cronin has been coaching a long time, but he has never had a point guard as a head coach with the ceiling and passing capabilities of New Mexico transfer, Donovan Dent," Rothstein said in his reaction to UCLA on X (formerly Twitter). "[Dent] might be pound-for-pound, inch-for-inch, a top two point guard in college basketball in 25-26, along with Purdue's Braden Smith."

ROTHSTEIN REACTION: UCLA. pic.twitter.com/srd5S0CBFM
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) July 28, 2025

Dent addresses a major issue Cronin's Bruins had (especially) down the stretch of last season -- offensive efficiency and creation. Bowing out of the NCAA Tournament in the second round to Tennessee, Cronin new exactly what needed to be addressed and he found the perfect solution in the SoCal kid.

After finishing their first season in the Big Ten Conference with a 23-11 record UCLA's trajectory is looking up for next season.

UCLA finished the season with the 164th overall offense with similar low rankings in field goal percentage, 3-point percentage and free throw shooting.

With Dent addressing a dire need for improvement offensively, the Bruins are primed to build off the momentum of their inaugural season in the Big Ten by proving to be a true contender in the college basketball stratosphere.

What Cronin Thinks of Dent

In an interview on the Big Ten Network, Bruins coach Mick Cronin had high praise for the former New Mexico guard.

"The Mountain West was a tough league," Cronin said. "At the end of the year (it took Maryland) everything they had, a buzzer-beater to beat Colorado State. We had to play Utah State in the tournament. There's some good teams in that league and [Dent] was far and away the best player in that conference.

"Point guard's a very position. It just makes your life a lot easier if you have a guy with the ball that can really do a lot of things."

This article first appeared on UCLA Bruins on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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