Photo by: SMC Athletics / Piper Westrom
Kroner's Corner Season 2: Aussie Number 25, Josh Dent
12/16/2025 2:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Sophomore Josh Dent put up 18 points in Saint Mary's 84-58 rout of St. Thomas in the Gaels' opener Nov. 3, four more points than he scored in his entire freshman season.
After dishing out six assists in each of the Gaels' first two games of 2025-26, Dent had surpassed his freshman assist total by five. And after playing a combined 90 minutes in the first three games this season, he had logged seven more minutes than he had all of last season.
From little-used freshman to indispensable sophomore isn't exactly an easy transition to make – particularly as a point guard – but through 11 games, Dent has handled that progression quite well.
The 6-foot-3 Australian is averaging 12.6 points and 4.8 assists per game and he has been just about automatic at the foul line, hitting 45 of 46 attempts (97.8%). Dent made his first 28 tries, missed one and has knocked down his past 17.
After a practice at UCU Pavilion last week, Dent said that as the Gaels went unbeaten in their six-game homestand to begin this season, it "definitely built my confidence up to a place where I know I can control things in a certain way" as the starting point guard.
Associate head coach Mickey McConnell said Dent impressed the coaching staff last season when he mainly rode the bench as Augustas Marciulionis and Jordan Ross got the overwhelming majority of the point-guard minutes.
"When (Dent) wasn't playing, there was never a complaint," McConnell said. "There was never an attitude. There was never a poutiness. He was getting extra work. He was paying attention. He was good in practice and there were no days that he took off."
McConnell and Dent credit Marciulionis, a two-time WCC Player of the Year, for helping Dent improve last season even though he rarely got the opportunity to display that improvement during games.
"If I asked Goose a question, he would answer it," Dent said, "but we also had this mutual respect of if I see him do something, I'm definitely going to try to do it because he's the one playing, so I'm going to do everything I can to copy him."
Dent often resembles Marciulionis when using a high ball-screen – typically from one of the Gaels' centers, Andrew McKeever or Harry Wessels – to knife down the right side of the lane and convert a layup.
"The way (Marciulionis) did it, especially driving off our bigs," Dent said, "I was never familiar with how easy it really was to score when you set it up the way it was supposed to be set up. You should be getting those opportunities to shoot those layups."
Though Marciulionis now is playing for the Lakers' G League team, Dent still has plenty of Saint Mary's point-guard history and knowledge at his disposal. Three members of Randy Bennett's staff -- McConnell (2007-11), Joe Rahon (2015-17) and EJ Rowland (2003-05) – played the point at a high level for the Gaels.
"Whatever has been instilled in them throughout the program, through Coach Bennett, whether you like it or not, it's going to get instilled into you as well," Dent said.
McConnell said Dent "is not a selfish guy. We have to get on him a little bit to be aggressive because he's going to defer to make the offense try to flow and get other guys shots.
"And I think when our team is going to be at its best is when he's being aggressive and he's trying to attack and then make plays."
Dent would like to improve his shooting from beyond the arc (he's 12-for-40, 30%) and to trim his turnovers. Through that six-game homestand, he committed only seven turnovers. In the ensuing five games away from Moraga, he committed 19.
Of course, all players miss shots and commit giveaways. Dent professes to own the proper mindset of dealing with the inevitable mini-disappointments throughout a game.
"Being able to move on from the last play that I've made, it's something that I pride myself on," Dent said. "I turn it over all the time. I miss shots all the time, but we're trying to play faster this year and part of that is making mistakes and rolling with it."
The Gaels have rolled to a 9-2 record with Dent as their No. 1 point guard.
"He's never too up or down. He's handled everything with good poise," McConnell said. "I think as he gets more comfortable, more aggressive, he'll just keep getting better and better."
Steve Kroner has covered Bay Area sports for more than four decades, mainly at KPIX-TV (Channel 5) and the San Francisco Chronicle. He is in his second season working as an analyst alongside Brian Brownfield on SMC's men's basketball telecasts on ESPN+.
After dishing out six assists in each of the Gaels' first two games of 2025-26, Dent had surpassed his freshman assist total by five. And after playing a combined 90 minutes in the first three games this season, he had logged seven more minutes than he had all of last season.
From little-used freshman to indispensable sophomore isn't exactly an easy transition to make – particularly as a point guard – but through 11 games, Dent has handled that progression quite well.
The 6-foot-3 Australian is averaging 12.6 points and 4.8 assists per game and he has been just about automatic at the foul line, hitting 45 of 46 attempts (97.8%). Dent made his first 28 tries, missed one and has knocked down his past 17.
After a practice at UCU Pavilion last week, Dent said that as the Gaels went unbeaten in their six-game homestand to begin this season, it "definitely built my confidence up to a place where I know I can control things in a certain way" as the starting point guard.
Associate head coach Mickey McConnell said Dent impressed the coaching staff last season when he mainly rode the bench as Augustas Marciulionis and Jordan Ross got the overwhelming majority of the point-guard minutes.
"When (Dent) wasn't playing, there was never a complaint," McConnell said. "There was never an attitude. There was never a poutiness. He was getting extra work. He was paying attention. He was good in practice and there were no days that he took off."
McConnell and Dent credit Marciulionis, a two-time WCC Player of the Year, for helping Dent improve last season even though he rarely got the opportunity to display that improvement during games.
"If I asked Goose a question, he would answer it," Dent said, "but we also had this mutual respect of if I see him do something, I'm definitely going to try to do it because he's the one playing, so I'm going to do everything I can to copy him."
Dent often resembles Marciulionis when using a high ball-screen – typically from one of the Gaels' centers, Andrew McKeever or Harry Wessels – to knife down the right side of the lane and convert a layup.
"The way (Marciulionis) did it, especially driving off our bigs," Dent said, "I was never familiar with how easy it really was to score when you set it up the way it was supposed to be set up. You should be getting those opportunities to shoot those layups."
Though Marciulionis now is playing for the Lakers' G League team, Dent still has plenty of Saint Mary's point-guard history and knowledge at his disposal. Three members of Randy Bennett's staff -- McConnell (2007-11), Joe Rahon (2015-17) and EJ Rowland (2003-05) – played the point at a high level for the Gaels.
"Whatever has been instilled in them throughout the program, through Coach Bennett, whether you like it or not, it's going to get instilled into you as well," Dent said.
McConnell said Dent "is not a selfish guy. We have to get on him a little bit to be aggressive because he's going to defer to make the offense try to flow and get other guys shots.
"And I think when our team is going to be at its best is when he's being aggressive and he's trying to attack and then make plays."
Dent would like to improve his shooting from beyond the arc (he's 12-for-40, 30%) and to trim his turnovers. Through that six-game homestand, he committed only seven turnovers. In the ensuing five games away from Moraga, he committed 19.
Of course, all players miss shots and commit giveaways. Dent professes to own the proper mindset of dealing with the inevitable mini-disappointments throughout a game.
"Being able to move on from the last play that I've made, it's something that I pride myself on," Dent said. "I turn it over all the time. I miss shots all the time, but we're trying to play faster this year and part of that is making mistakes and rolling with it."
The Gaels have rolled to a 9-2 record with Dent as their No. 1 point guard.
"He's never too up or down. He's handled everything with good poise," McConnell said. "I think as he gets more comfortable, more aggressive, he'll just keep getting better and better."
Steve Kroner has covered Bay Area sports for more than four decades, mainly at KPIX-TV (Channel 5) and the San Francisco Chronicle. He is in his second season working as an analyst alongside Brian Brownfield on SMC's men's basketball telecasts on ESPN+.
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/ Men's BasketballMBB | Saint Mary's vs. Boise State Highlights, 12-14-25
Sunday, December 14
MBB | Highlights at Davidson, 12-7-25
Sunday, December 07
MBB | Joshua Dent Postgame at Davidson, 12-7-25, Presented by University Credit Union
Sunday, December 07
MBB | Highlights vs. Vanderbilt, 11-28-25
Friday, November 28
