Donovan Dent leads revived UCLA against Minnesota

Bruins point guard Dent has been on a tear, while short-handed Gophers look to protect home court

Published on Feb. 28, 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. Bruins point guard Donovan Dent has been on a tear, delivering a game-winning layup against Illinois and scoring a season-best 30 points against USC. Meanwhile, Minnesota has been tough at home this season, but will be short-handed with injuries to key players.

Why it matters

This matchup features two teams heading in opposite directions. UCLA is looking to solidify its NCAA Tournament resume, while Minnesota is trying to protect its home court against a surging Bruins squad led by the hot-handed Dent.

The details

Dent's combined 44 points with 23 assists and no turnovers in the two games made him the only Division I player in the last 30 seasons with 40 points, 20 assists and no turnovers in back-to-back games. Despite poor outside shooting this season, Dent made a season-high five 3-pointers against USC. Minnesota has been a handful at home this season, where it is 11-4, with victories over three ranked teams. However, the Gophers will be short-handed, having lost point guard Chansey Willis and center Robert Vaihola for the season, and with second-leading scorer Jaylen Crocker-Johnson (foot) missing four consecutive games.

  • The matchup is scheduled for Saturday, February 28, 2026 in Minneapolis.
  • UCLA defeated Illinois 95-94 in overtime last Saturday, February 21.
  • UCLA dominated rival USC 81-62 on Tuesday, February 25.

The players

Donovan Dent

UCLA's point guard who has been on a tear, delivering a game-winning layup against Illinois and scoring 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 earlier losses.

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 in the loss to Michigan, saying they "showed a ton of heart" and "refused to give in."

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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 (statenews.net)

“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 (statenews.net)

What’s next

The winner of this matchup will take a step closer to securing an NCAA Tournament berth, while the loser will face an uphill battle to make the Big Dance.

The takeaway

This game features two teams heading in opposite directions, with UCLA led by the hot-handed Donovan Dent looking to solidify its NCAA Tournament resume, while the short-handed Minnesota Gophers try to protect their home court against the surging Bruins.