Corona Centennial's Donovan Dent is SBLive's 2022 California high school boys basketball player of the year

Corona Centennial senior Donovan Dent led the Huskies to a 33-1 season and Open Division championships at the Section and State level. For that, he has been named SBLive's California boys basketball player of the year. The award is given out annually by SBLive.

Donovan Dent was the most consistent player for the state’s most consistent team this season. The New Mexico signee led Corona Centennial to both Southern Section and Open Division state titles in his senior year. He averaged 16.4 points, 6.7 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game shooting 53% from the field.

Dent was exceptional all year long. In the Classic at Damien Tournament in December, he scored 27 points in Corona Centennial's 62-56 Platinum Division win over St. John Bosco and then 23 points in the Huskies' 67-61 win over Etiwanda a day later.

After the St. John Bosco victory, Corona Centennial head coach Josh Giles said of Dent: “I’ve had four guards play in the Pac-12 since I’ve been at Centennial, he may be the best one I’ve ever had.”

With Dent leading the charge at point guard, Corona Centennial had a historic season losing only once, a November 75-70 defeat to Texas power Duncanville. The Huskies went undefeated against California opposition. They rolled to a Big VIII League title and waltzed into the Open Division state championship game thanks to six straight playoff wins by 20 or more points.

In the state title game, Dent cemented his Player of the Year status. With 3:30 to play, tied 46-46 against a talented Modesto Christian team, Dent sparked Corona Centennial to a 13-4 run to win 59-50 giving the school its first ever boys basketball state title.

First, Dent connected on a floater to give the Huskies a 48-46 lead. Then after Modesto Christian tied the game again, Dent scored two straight layups putting Centennial ahead for good.

"He makes game-winning plays and I don't know how you replace that," Giles said of Dent after the game.

Dent also assisted on the Huskies' final basket of the game drawing two defenders his way before threading a pass to a cutting Aaron McBride for a dagger dunk.

"He's just a tough kid who's not afraid of the moment and plays incredibly hard," Giles added.