Donovan Dent to lead revived UCLA against Minnesota

After a pair of reaffirming victories, UCLA has no time for complacency with a visit to Minnesota on Saturday.

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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After a pair of reaffirming victories to get its NCAA Tournament hopes back on track, UCLA has no time for complacency with a visit to Minnesota on Saturday at Minneapolis. The Bruins were crushed in losses at Michigan and Michigan State earlier this month, but regrouped with a 95-94 overtime victory over No. 10 Illinois last Saturday and an 81-62 win over rival Southern California on Tuesday. Bruins point guard Donovan Dent delivered a game-winning layup at the buzzer against the Illini and had a season-best 30 points against the Trojans.

Why it matters

UCLA is looking to solidify its NCAA Tournament hopes with a strong finish to the regular season, while Minnesota has been a tough opponent at home this year, with victories over three ranked teams.

The details

Despite poor outside shooting this season, Dent made a season-high five 3-pointers against USC but remains just 24.1% from 3-point range. Minnesota (13-15, 6-11) has been a handful at home this season, where it is 11-4, with home victories over three ranked teams: Indiana, Iowa and Michigan State. The Gophers fell 77-67 at No. 3 Michigan on Tuesday, with Cade Tyson scoring a game-high 20 points for his 12th game of at least 20 points.

  • UCLA and Minnesota will face off on Saturday, February 29, 2026 in Minneapolis.
  • UCLA defeated Illinois 95-94 in overtime last Saturday, February 22, 2026.
  • UCLA defeated USC 81-62 on Tuesday, February 25, 2026.

The players

Donovan Dent

UCLA's point guard who delivered a game-winning layup against Illinois and scored a season-best 30 points against USC.

Mick Cronin

UCLA's head coach who had to apologize for his on-court antics after the team's losses earlier this month.

Cade Tyson

Minnesota's leading scorer who had a game-high 20 points in the team's loss to Michigan.

Niko Medved

Minnesota's head coach who was proud of his team's effort and heart in the loss to Michigan.

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What they’re saying

“I mean, this is the best time to get (hot). I was struggling early in the season. So for me, I'm in a groove right now. I feel like (that) would be huge for our team and huge for myself. When you … hit some shots early, it just feeds into everything.”

— Donovan Dent

“I am really proud of my team, man. Michigan is as good analytically as any team in college basketball in the last 15 years. (We) just showed a ton of heart. Every time we took a punch, we punched back. Did a lot of good things. We just battled our tail off and refused to give in.”

— Niko Medved, Minnesota head coach

What’s next

The winner of the UCLA-Minnesota game on Saturday will take a step closer to securing a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

The takeaway

This game features two teams heading in opposite directions, with UCLA looking to solidify its tournament hopes and Minnesota trying to pull off another home upset against a ranked opponent.