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's Dent Anointed Best Watch in College Basketball

Originally posted on UCLA Bruins on SI | By Connor Moreno | Last updated Nov 6, 2025 8:00 AM ET

Anytime you're tuning in to watch the No. 12 UCLA Bruins (1-0, 0-0 Big Ten), you might be able to catch a master at work.

Walking the ball down the court. Controlling the pace of an entire game. Single-handedly elevating everyone around him while effortlessly being able to cash in his own shot. That's a skill reserved for Bruins' star point guard Donovan Dent, who put his talents on full display in UCLA's season opener against Eastern Washignton.

Jon Rothstein, college basketball insider for CBS Sports, couldn't help but prop Dent up as one of the best watches in the sport.

"There are a lot of great players this year in college basketball," Rothstein said. "I'm not certain there is a better watch than Donovan Dent, who I believe is the most electrifying player in college basketball today."

Dent was as good as advertised in his UCLA debut, leading the Bruins with 21 points, four rebounds, nine assists and just one turnover on 8-of-17 shooting. The Bruins won their season opener against Eastern Washington, 80-74.

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"As good of a point guard there is, aside from Braden Smith right now, in the sport," Rothstein added. "To me, Donovan Dent's a top two point guard in college basketball... If you are somebody who wants to be entertained, you will watch Donovan Dent every single time he plays this season for UCLA."

It took one game for an opposing coach to be in awe of Dent's talents. Eastern Washington coach Dan Monson even game planned his defense around mitigating Dent's impact, but to no avail.

EWU Had 'No Answers' For Donovan Dent

The Bruins as a team looked disjointed by a meddling Big Sky opponent and EWU's tricky zone defense, so much so that Dent often had to carry UCLA through some of its roughest stretches.

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Monson credited the senior point guard for being the reason the Eagles couldn't compete.

"“I think UCLA is a super-talented and elite team," Monson said after the game. "When it’s all said and done, they’re going to be a top 10 team in the country. We tried box-and-one on [Donovan] Dent, two different zones, and some other defenses, but we had no answer for him. He’s truly an elite point guard.”

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 Eagles continued their gritty effort and brought the game to within six points as the buzzer sounded.

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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.

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

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