If you’ve been to a UConn Men’s Basketball game in the past year, there’s a good chance you’ve seen Donovan Clingan. The 7’1’’ (listed in some places as tall as 7’3’’) center is hard to miss after all, especially since he goes to almost every home game and sits behind the Huskies’ bench each time. Instead of being forced to sit and watch as he did last year, Clingan now has the opportunity to suit up and play, hopefully able to make an instant-impact.
Clingan is a 4-star recruit ranked 35th nationally by Rivals and seventh among centers. He played all four seasons of high school the traditional, yet now unorthodox way–at his hometown public school, Bristol Central. Most players of Clingan’s level leave their public high school before they hit junior year, some before high school even starts, electing to go the prep school route.
Instead, Clingan shattered records in Connecticut, posting over 2,000 career points, largely thanks to video-game like statlines. Most notably, in February of this year, Clingan scored 47 points in a single game, setting the school record for points. Just 10 days later, he decided that 51 had a better ring to it. Not to mention the 31 rebounds and nine blocks that went along with it. His fantastic career culminated in him helping Bristol Central to its first state championship in more than 30 years, the perfect cherry on top
Some have concern that playing against public high school kids was bad for Clingan's development, as he didn't challenge himself enough. However, against better competition in AAU, he continued to dominate, scoring 19 points, grabbing 16 boards, while also collecting six blocks and six assists per game for Team Spartans at the Hoop Group Spring Jam Fest in Pennsylvania. Despite this though, there are still concerns about how his talent will translate at the next level.
THE SCOUTING REPORT....
Clingan is one of the more versatile centers UConn has had on its roster in some time, with the ability to help the team in several different ways. At Bristol Central, he excelled in most areas, largely because he was so much better than his peers. With this in mind, it will be interesting to see what parts of Clingan’s game stick as he’s placed in a role where he isn’t the centerpiece.
He possesses the typical abilities of a center, scoring from the low and high post and rebounding, although he inflated his stats by collecting his own missed shots. Offensive rebounds will be harder to come by against bigger and stronger college talent, so don’t expect him to put together too many 30 rebound games, as he did in high school. His height is going to be an asset at 7’1’’, so he still will be a serious threat on the glass.
In addition to these abilities, Clingan’s modern big skills create intrigue. He’s a competent passer out of the post, which will become increasingly useful as he draws more individual attention. This was demonstrated through his six assists per game in the AAU tournament. Passing skills as a big man make any offense run smoother and fits especially well with the four in-one out offense that Coach Dan Hurley plans to run. The offense involves four guards around a big man, which thrives when the big man can kick the ball out to open shooters, effectively spacing the offense.
Another modern skill that Clingan boasts is his ability to hit the three ball. He has a surprisingly smooth jumper for his size that should only get better with practice. In the NBA, bigs needs to be able to stretch the floor, making Clingan an increasingly attractive prospect if he proves to have a reliable stroke in college.
In an interview with Hearst Media earlier this year, Hurley commented on Clingan’s skills, noting “He’s a giant. I love his skill level, love his hands, love his feel. I love his passing, his touch. I love the way he shoots the ball. I love the fact that he’s alive during the game, too,” Hurley said. “He plays with personality, he’s a talker, he’s competitive. He wants to be out there, desperately, in the arena. He doesn’t play because he’s tall. He belongs out there.”
STORRS IMPACT.....
Despite Clingan’s exciting potential and skillset, he likely won’t be asked to do too much this year, as he’ll be playing behind Big East Player of the Year favorite Adama Sanogo. Last year, Sanogo played almost 30 minutes per game, which proved to be too much as he looked slower as the season progressed. As the only other true center on the roster though, Clingan will have the opportunity to back up and learn from Sanogo, likely playing about 10-15 minutes per game. Going up against the junior in practice will be incredibly helpful for Clingan’s development, as he looks to become the starter with Sanogo’s departure.
Clingan gives Husky fans a lot to look forward to in the coming years, but with some of the skills that he needs to hone, the uncertainty of how his game will translate and the competition for minutes, he should be able to ease his way into the college landscape in a low-pressure situation.
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