LOS ANGELES – It was the best of times, and the worst too – shooting-wise. Really, a tale of two halves. The UCLA men’s basketball team was on almost unreasonably hot in the first half Saturday, 15 for 27 (55.6%) from the floor. And ice bath cold after the break, 9 for 28 (32.1%). And still, t he Bruins hung on to beat Oregon 74-63 at Pauley Pavilion: “Awful, awful shooting,” Coach Mick Cronin said. “And we still were able to win by 11. Gotta be happy with that.” Happy that his team could survive a second-half offensive stall out, and that even after shooting so many bricks, Cronin joked they could’ve built a wall, the Bruins (7-2, 2-0 Big Ten) huffed and puffed and blew past the Ducks (4-5, 0-2). Pleased also that his team also survived another so-so shooting effort – 4 for 14 from the field, 0 for 1 from 3-point range – from senior guard Donovan Dent, who did enough of the other important stuff that kept Cronin calm. “I thought Donnie’s effort [was] great,” Cronin said. “I’m trying to get Donnie to – just, he’s hard on himself.” The 6-foot-2 Corona Centennial product arrived in Westwood, via New Mexico, for his final college season with the pressure on. He stepped on John Wooden’s hardwood as the nation’s most lauded transfer, a fluid 20.4 points per game scorer with a masterful float game, someone with an offensive engine capable of elevating the Bruins into national title contention. He’d earned honorable mention All-America honors last season and led the Lobos to a Mountain West regular-season championship and the NCAA Tournament’s second round. And, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican, he got a $3 million name, image and likeness deal to transfer to UCLA. Because the Bruins knew, if they’re going to make a dent in the Big Dance, they’re going to need a guy like him firing. Cronin certainly knows this, which is why I imagine the famously fiery coach isn’t crashing out about Dent’s misses. He knows better than to pile onto a scorer who last season shot 49% from the field and 40.9% from 3-point range – and who this season is hitting at clips of just 36.2% overall and 7.7% from deep and averaging just 12 points per game. That downtick isn’t boosting anyone’s confidence. It might lead a guy to pass up a shot. Or four. To think twice or double-clutch. To hesitate instead of just letting it rip. And so Cronin lauded his scoring guard’s defense on Oregon standout Jackson Shelstad (20 points). Cronin highlighted the fact that in his team-high 38 minutes, Dent did a lot to wear down Ducks defenders – whether or not his shots were falling, as fickle as shots can be. “He’s hard on himself,” Cronin repeated. “He’s too hard on himself about whether the ball goes in or not. He gets mad at himself.” His teammates have noticed. Hard-working junior Eric Dailey Jr. even grabbed him after a miss Saturday to remind him that they’re not mad: “Keep your head up. You’re gonna miss shots, you’re gonna make shots. It don’t matter. We’re gonna need you to keep shooting, regardless, because that’s what he’s good at.” It’s true. Dent is dangerous when he finds his rhythm and flow. He had four 30-plus point games for the Lobos last season, and one 40-point performance against VCU. Back at Centennial, when Dent was the 2021-22 California Player of the Year recognition from MaxPreps.com and SBLive and named California “Mr. Basketball” by CalHiSports.com, he was averaging 16.6 points and 6.6 assists per game for a Huskies team that finished 33-1 overall and won the CIF Open Division state title. “The biggest thing with him, it’s … take care of the ball and show people he’ll defend and play,” Cronin said. Play the right way. Build it, and the scoring will come. Most of all, relax. That’s the message, Cronin said: “You don’t have to prove anything … you’re an extremely smart player. Just be a leader and worry about your defense. Be a leader and worry about your team. Just worry about your team, worry about making your team [better].” That’s why Dent said he detoured back home, to UCLA, after all: To develop his other skills, to improve his defense and to prove he can be disruptive enough as a slight, 185-pounder that NBA teams will consider hiring him. “He’s already proven that he’s an offensive talent,” Cronin said. “And he doesn’t have to be Superman on our team. So I’ve just got to keep him focused on being a leader.” Still, UCLA is going to be counting on Dent – who, by the way, is averaging a career-high 6.4 assists – taking the cape offensively when the Bruins need him most, depending on him to come to the rescue as the scoring leader when they sound the alarm. “We all know he’s going to have monster nights,” Cronin said. “He’s got it in him.” ...read more read less