NBA Draft: New Mexico's Donovan Dent Shows Skill in VCU Win

As one of the best guards in college basketball, Donovan Dent scored a career-high 40 points against VCU while showcasing the strongest aspects of his game.

Mar 22, 2024; Memphis, TN, USA; New Mexico Lobos guard Donovan Dent (2) dribbles against Clemson Tigers guard Chase Hunter (1) during the first half of the NCAA Tournament First Round at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Coming off his best game of the year, New Mexico’s junior guard Donovan Dent has emerged as one of the top guards in all of college basketball. He had a productive sophomore season with the Lobos but has made significant strides as a lead guard in his third season. His all-around game has looked excellent through New Mexico’s first 12 games, and although he only stands at 6-foot-2, the impact he’s made all over the floor bodes well for his potential at the next level.

Let’s take a closer look at Dent’s outstanding performance against VCU, as well as how his play this season has quickly raised his draft stock.

As mentioned, Dent has had a very strong start to this season, helping lift the Lobos to an impressive 9-3 record. So far, he has averaged 19.6 points, 2.3 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.8 blocks on highly impressive shooting splits of 49.7%/47.4%/73.6%. The strongest aspect of his game has been his scoring ability, as he has been effective from all three levels. In addition to scoring, he is also one of the top playmakers in the nation and currently ranks seventh in the country in assists per game. His defensive potential remains a question, primarily due to his smaller frame, which could impact his ability to translate to the NBA.

In Dent’s most recent outing, a 78-71 victory over VCU, he poured in a career-high 40 points, along with five rebounds, four assists and one steal. He was at his best while using his shifty handle and elite change of speed to get by defenders and display a soft touch in the lane. Whether these shots were floaters or layups at the rim, he did a consistently impressive job of creating angles to smoothly dissect the defense. His drives also showcased his ability to draw fouls and get to the free-throw line, where he shot 10-of-11.

New Mexico point guard Donovan Dent dropped 40 on VCU tonight 😳 pic.twitter.com/Kqy2IPxERZ

— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) December 19, 2024

Looking at his play this season overall, Dent’s scoring has primarily come off drives. Whether relying on interior shots, as seen in the VCU game, or showcasing his ability to hit pull-up jumpers, he has been effective. Dent is somewhat of a low-volume shooter from three, but he has shown the ability to knock them down consistently. Continuing to increase his volume from deep could shed more light on how effective he could be at the NBA level.

Dent is also a very impressive playmaker, as previously mentioned, ranking seventh in the nation for assists per game. He has recorded double-digit assists in three separate games this year, while only recording five or fewer assists in four outings. While he is primarily a score-first guard, his playmaking ability makes him an intriguing prospect who could develop into several different roles at the next level.

Defensively, he is a pesky on-ball defender and can collect steals fairly consistently. His lack of size could be a concern, but his combination of basketball IQ and reactivity suggests that he could be on par with NBA players like Darius Garland or Bones Hyland in terms of defensive potential. It would be surprising if Dent stands out as a defensive specialist, but he does have the physical tools to at least be serviceable at the next level.

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