Generally even Donovan Dent must be informed he’s Donovan Dent.
“I just keep reminding him of who he is,” Skyy Clark mentioned of his message to his UCLA teammate who has been pushing by means of a tricky opening stretch as a Bruin.
Probably the most extremely coveted level guard within the switch portal, Dent arrived on campus with the pedigree of an All-American honorable point out who was anticipated to instantly elevate his new staff. Amongst his many skills have been sturdy three-point capturing and a capability to blow by defenders to the rim.
He’s been wanting extra like that model of himself the previous couple of video games after a sluggish, injury-marred first month, a trajectory the No. 25 Bruins (7-2) might want to proceed Saturday evening at Local weather Pledge Area in Seattle in the event that they hope to beat No. 8 Gonzaga (9-1).
“He’s been showing a lot of flashes of who he is as a person, as a player, and we’re all rooting for him,” Clark mentioned. “I think it’s only going to get better.”
Having every week between video games may assist. UCLA coach Mick Cronin mentioned he’s been working with Dent on his capturing kind, which curiously has been a difficulty for somebody who made 40.9% of his three-pointers and 78.4% of his free throws final season at New Mexico.
These numbers have dipped significantly, Dent making simply one among 13 three-pointers (7.7%) to go along with 62.8% of his free throws. He barely was making half of his free throws earlier than a current stretch wherein he’s transformed 10 of 13.
Maybe the most important concern has been Dent’s incapability to embarrass defenders like he did as a Lobo.
UCLA guard Donovan Dent drives to the basket towards Oregon ahead Dezdrick Lindsay, left, and middle Ege Demir, proper, through the Bruins’ 74-63 win on Dec. 6.
(Jessie Alcheh / Related Press)
“In the Mountain West, he was able to get to the rim in a way that he’s not able to get to the rim at our level, it’s just not going to happen,” Cronin mentioned. “At the high level, it’s really hard. You can’t finish on some of the big guys you could finish on in that league — maybe in the bottom half of the league, you could just take everybody to the rim. First of all, they allow you to bump the dribbler; it’s more physical the higher up you go — it just is. It’s not a knock on it, it’s just the way it is. You know, the Power Four leagues now plus the Big East, the physicality is amazing.
“And in the NBA you can’t blow on a guy, but in college, it’s physical, and that’s what people try to do is beat him up, that’s the game plan. And everybody has the same game plan, like, we know, we talk to people, be physical, beat him up, be as physical as you can with him.”
Cronin mentioned he’s been inspired by what he’s seen during the last two video games, wherein Dent averaged 15 factors and 5.5 assists with 3.0 turnovers whereas main the Bruins to victories over Washington and Oregon. He’s additionally put belly and lower-leg accidents behind him.
That’s to not say that Dent can’t enhance his recreation one other notch or two.
“He’s got to have more confidence in his three-point shot, his pull-up shot and focusing on his defense on the ball, using his quickness for that,” Cronin mentioned. “So there’s just different ways he can affect the game, which is going to be [key] for him to have a [professional] career anyway. He’s been pushing through it, he’s been working on it, I thought the last couple of games his effort’s been great.”
If Dent wanted a template for perseverance amid excessive expectations as a switch, he might discover it in Clark. After arriving from Louisville, Clark struggled along with his capturing and by no means scored in double figures over his first 9 video games as a Bruin.
Then got here a 15-point breakthrough towards Arizona in mid-December and an 11-point, nine-rebound, seven-assist exhibiting two weeks later in a victory over Gonzaga.
“I had a slow start last year when I first came here and then as the season went on it started to get a little [better],” Clark mentioned. “So, I just keep telling him about that and keep sticking with it.”
Cash issues
Cronin mentioned UCLA raised extra money enjoying in neutral-site video games towards Arizona, California and Gonzaga than it might have by taking part within the Gamers Period Competition.
“They raise money for our program to buy players,” Cronin mentioned of neutral-site video games with amusing. “I mean, everybody else can talk about recruiting, you know, write about why kids pick schools — I don’t have time for it. I’m too old, I’ve done enough, it’s comical. We’re semipro, our guys do go to school, [but] guys pick schools because they get paid, so these neutral-site games help raise money. So next spring, when we sign a guy in the portal and you go interview him and he tells you he really bonded with me, and I’ve known him for two weeks,” you’ll know why he signed.
And so on.
Cronin, on the scheduled 8:30 p.m. begin time towards Gonzaga: “I mean, it’s ridiculous. I mean, why don’t we just play at midnight? … My dad’s real happy about it. He’s 84, he’s gonna have to take two naps on Saturday to be able to watch us play Saturday night.” … Cronin mentioned the Bruins would honor UCLA alumnus Dave Roberts, supervisor of the two-time defending World Sequence champion Dodgers, at a house recreation this season. … Six years after he uprooted his household from Cincinnati, Cronin mentioned he can be completely satisfied to help new UCLA soccer coach Bob Chesney with the logistics of shifting throughout the nation to Los Angeles: “I don’t know anything about football, but I can help him on where to live and just have his wife call us, we’ll help her.”
