In Reply to: Dent still can't shoot.... posted by Michael.Walter.Cronin on February 22, 2026 at 16:18:23
Three point shooting has never been part of Dent's game. He averages taking less than two a game in his career. His two point shooting is almost as good as it was at NM, given the better competition.
Donovan Dent - Those calling him a bust by superficially comparing his stats from last season to this one couldn't be more wrong. A deeper dive on his stats say otherwise:
Free throws - His poor free throw shooting early in the season is 100% on him and has nothing to do with the coaching. It could have happened if he was on any team with any offensive system or coach. However, he has improved over the season and is 19-26 (73%) his last five games. But more importantly, he has made them when they mean the most. We've had three close games in January and February: Purdue, Indiana and Washington. He's 17-21 from the line in those games. His free throw shooting is not a problem.
3-point shooting - What the critics fail to notice when they compare his 41% last season to his 19% this year, 3-point shooting has never been a major part of his game. His first two seasons at New Mexico, he averaged about one attempt per game. Last season it was slightly under two, the same as this season. What that means is if he made 40% instead of 19% he would have made a total of nine more threes the entire season, about one every three games. Although we would like him to shoot these better, his 3-point shooting is not a problem.
2-point shooting - Last season he shot 50% on 454 2-point shots. This season it's 45% on 250 shots. There is no statistical significance between these percentages. Some of the difference can be explained by his frequent drives to the hoop. There are much more big, athletic players around the basket in the Big-10 than in the Mountain West conference to contest those shots.