This ranking may raise some eyebrows but it is one I am extremely confident in. Dent is one of my 3 favorite prospects in this draft and his stock will skyrocket with a strong March Madness. I see a lot of the traits that made Scoot Henderson so highly touted entering the draft last June in Dent. He is not quite the explosive athlete Scoot is but he can throw down vicious dunks @ 6'2 (may be shorter) and shows the same speed and quickness when attacking downhill. He is also one of only a handful of underclassmen averaging over 5 assists per game. His ability to change gears and put defenders in prison (when defender gets stuck on offensive player's hip, mostly after screens in PNR) to create space is uncommon. He is similar to Rob Dillingham in stature and game but I believe he has more playmaking potential with the ability to be a true point guard while being 90% of the scorer that Dillingham is.
Prospect Tier: Fringe All-Star
Prospect Tags: Offensive Maestro
Strengths
Is a legit playmaker. Averages just shy of 6 assists per game as a sophomore. Can make all types of passes and consistently hits teammates in the chest.
Ability to change gears is elite. Can create space relying on change of pace not overdribbling.
Has shown ability to hit pull up mid range jumpers and middy floaters. Will be important part of his game @ 6'2.
While he may be undersized, he is an excellent POA defender. Has lightning quick feet and hands.
Is shooting 39% from 3 this season albeit on only 1.4 attempts per game. If the volume increases without affecting efficiency, his offensive game could take a major jump.
Understands how to seek out contact and use it to create space while finishing near the rim. Jumps right into the defender chest and can hit shots whle hanging in air a la Russ Westbrook and Ja Morant.
Averages 1.6 stls and .7 blocks per game without elite height or length for the point guard position.
Has special balance and body control. Visible when finishing at the rim. Can make layups with high degree of difficulty.
Weaknesses
Although he is strong at the POA, he must fight over and thru screens to avoid switches and mismatches. Will be a target in the PNR game if he is unable to do these things.
While he can finish at the rim thru contact, sometimes he drives a little too deep and can't initiate contact to create space therefore leaving him trapped leading to turnovers or blocked shots.
Size will always be a concern with Dent, just as it is with any player under 6'4, 210 lbs.
COMPS
Best Case: Physically, Dent reminds me of Collin Sexton. On the court, he reminds me of Deron Williams. He has an uncanny ability to get into the paint @ 6'2. He shoots 36% plus from 3 which opens up passing lanes for others and driving lanes for himself. Averaging 18 pts and 8 assists on efficient shooting would put him just outside of all-star conversations.
Worst Case: His outside shot comes and go, leaving defenders to sag off and clog driving/passing lanes. His decision making suffers from the overcrowding in the paint and he is relegated to life on the bench as a change of pace 6th man that has great games and not so great games.
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