Donovan John Clingan (born February 23, 2004) is an American basketball player. He played college basketball for the UConn Huskies.
.jpg) Clingan in 2023 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 23, 2004 Bristol, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Listed height | 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) |
| Listed weight | 280 lb (127 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Bristol Central (Bristol, Connecticut) |
| College | UConn (2022–2024) |
| Position | Center |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Early life and high school career edit
Clingan grew up in Bristol, Connecticut and attended Bristol Central High School.[1] He also played Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball for Joe Chatman at Team Spartans in Dorchester, Massachusetts.[2][3] Clingan averaged 27.3 points, 17.2 rebounds, and 5.8 blocks per game as a junior and was named the Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year.[4] Clingan repeated as the Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year after averaging 30.3 points, 18.4 rebounds, and 6.2 blocks per game during his senior season.[5] On July 2, 2021, he committed to playing college basketball for UConn over offers from Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Georgetown, Syracuse, Providence, and Rutgers.[6]
Clingan grew up and is close friends with current UConn Huskies football running back Victor Rosa. Rosa was Clingan's point guard in high school, and was a record-breaking football player as well.[7]
College career edit
Clingan entered his freshman season at UConn as the Huskies' backup center behind Adama Sanogo.[8] He was named to the Big East Conference All-Freshman team at the end of the regular season.[9] Clingan scored four points with three rebounds, a block, and two steals in the 2023 national championship game as the Huskies won 76–59.[10] Although he was considered to be a likely selection in the 2023 NBA draft, he decided to return to UConn for his sophomore season.[11]
Clingan entered his sophomore year as UConn's starting center.[12][13] He suffered a foot injury in a game against Seton Hall on December 20, 2023.[14] Clingan returned on January 17, 2024, scoring six points and grabbing five rebounds in 16 minutes of play in a 62–48 win over 18th-ranked Creighton.[15]
On April 12, 2024, Clingan declared for the 2024 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.[16]
Career statistics edit
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College edit
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–23 | UConn | 39 | 0 | 13.1 | .655 | .000 | .517 | 5.6 | .5 | .4 | 1.8 | 6.9 |
| 2023–24 | UConn | 35 | 33 | 22.5 | .639 | .250 | .583 | 7.4 | 1.5 | .5 | 2.5 | 13.0 |
| Career | 74 | 33 | 17.6 | .645 | .222 | .558 | 6.4 | 1.0 | .5 | 2.1 | 9.8 | |
Personal life edit
Clingan's mother, Stacey Clingan, also played basketball at Bristol Central where she set school records for career rebounds and blocks before playing college basketball at the University of Maine.[17] Stacey Clingan died of breast cancer in march 2018.[18]
References edit
- ^ Gibson, Charlotte (May 8, 2020). "Donovan Clingan contends with basketball future, his late mother's memory". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
- ^ Courant, Hartford (April 21, 2021). "Bristol Central's Donovan Clingan is back to dominating on the AAU circuit as college recruiting is set to ramp back up". Hartford Courant. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
- ^ "UConn's Donovan Clingan and a journey of dominance marked by tragedy". ESPN.com. April 6, 2024. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
- ^ "Bristol Central's Donovan Clingan Gatorade State Player of Year, 1 of 3 finalists for national award". Connecticut Post. June 4, 2021. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
- ^ Zagoria, Adam (March 22, 2023). "UConn's Freshman Center Stands Out Off the Bench". The New York Times. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
- ^ "Bristol Central center Donovan Clingan commits to UConn". The Day. July 2, 2021. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
- ^ "The new face of UConn basketball is a 7-foot-3 phenom from CT". October 25, 2023.
- ^ Betz, Adam (November 8, 2022). "UConn Notebook: Clingan makes big first impression". Journal Inquirer. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
- ^ Arruda, Joe (March 5, 2023). "UConn's Adama Sanogo, Jordan Hawkins named First Team All-Big East; Karaban, Clingan on All-Freshman team". Hartford Courant. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
- ^ "Donovan Clingan makes good on promise, helps UConn men's basketball team 'get No. 5'". Stamford Advocate. April 4, 2023. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
- ^ Borzello, Jeff (April 8, 2023). "UConn center Donovan Clingan to return for sophomore season". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
- ^ Borges, David (November 7, 2023). "Donovan Clingan reflects on first start for UConn men's basketball team: 'Dream come true'". CT Insider. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
- ^ "UConn men's preview: Donovan Clingan, the Huskies' ultimate big man, out to prove he's ready for the big time". Hartford Courant. November 4, 2023. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
- ^ Borzello, Jeff (December 23, 2023). "UConn center Donovan Clingan out 3-4 weeks with foot injury". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
- ^ "Clingan returns from injury to help No. 1 UConn stop Creighton". ESPN.com. January 17, 2024. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
- ^ Adrian Wojnarowski (April 12, 2024). "UConn center Donovan Clingan entering NBA draft". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
- ^ O'Neil, Dana (March 22, 2023). "Donovan Clingan is UConn's next big star. His mom would have loved it". The Athletic. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
- ^ "UConn men's basketball freshman Donovan Clingan honoring late mother at Final Four: "Make her proud'". Stamford Advocate. April 1, 2023. Retrieved April 3, 2023.