UCLA guard Donovan Dent and Purdue guard Braden Smith are too experienced college basketball players. Both are starting their senior seasons and are expected to lead teams with national championship hopes. Purdue was the No. 1-ranked team in the nation in the preseason, whereas UCLA was the No. 12-ranked team. As a result, there are big expectations on both teams and players.
Here, we will look at both players to determine which is the better Big Ten guard.
Donovan Dent vs Braden Smith Statistical Comparison
Donovan Dent
Donovan Dent is an interesting player to look at this season. He is a transfer from the New Mexico Lobos, and as a result, it is difficult to determine how his play will translate to UCLA. However, there is no doubt that he is poised to have another strong season.
Dent improved in all three of his seasons at New Mexico. As a freshman, he averaged just 5.6 points per game. However, as a sophomore, he stepped into a starting role and took a big jump forward statistically. He averaged 14.1 points, 2.5 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. This past season, he took another step forward into stardom, averaging 20.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game.
DONOVAN DENT! 🤩 What a move under the bucket! @UCLAMBB pic.twitter.com/l028qqfZKC
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) November 4, 2025
Braden Smith
Braden Smith is entering his fourth season on Purdue, and he has shown similar progression throughout his career. He has started every season, and as a result, his stats are easy to compare from season to season. He broke out as a sophomore with 12.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 1.6 steals per game. This past season, he improved again, averaging 15.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 8.7 assists, and 2.2 steals per game.
Donovan Dent vs Braden Smith Honors and Awards Comparison
Donovan Dent
- Mountain West Player of the Year (2025)
- First-team All-Mountain West (2025)
- Second-team All-Mountain West (2024)
- California Mr. Basketball (2022)
Braden Smith
- Consensus first-team All-American (2025)
- Bob Cousy Award (2025)
- Big Ten Player of the Year (2025)
- 2× First-team All-Big Ten (2024, 2025)
- Big Ten All-Freshman Team (2023)
- Indiana Mr. Basketball (2022)
Verdict
It is difficult to compare Donovan Dent and Braden Smith because of where they played. Dent was the better scorer last season, but he played against weaker competition in the Mountain West. Conversely, Smith is the better playmaker and has played against better competition. Based purely on stats, we give the edge to Dent, but our perception could change quickly if Dent struggles now that he is playing in the Big Ten.
The Boilermakers and Bruins are scheduled to play against each other once this season. UCLA will host Purdue on Jan. 20. At that point, we should have a good idea of which player is better between Dent and Smith.
Read More:
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