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Donovan Clingan (Source: X)
Donovan Clingan is leaving UConn after two seasons to enter the NBA draft, the 7-foot-2 center revealed Friday, four days after leading the Huskies to their second consecutive national championship.
Clingan, a sophomore from Bristol, Connecticut, announced his decision on social media, stating that playing in the NBA has been his "lifelong dream." "It will be very hard for me to leave my brothers after all the success these past two years," Clingan stated in the letter. "But the time is NOW!!"
The result was hardly surprising. Huskies coach Dan Hurley has repeatedly referred to Clingan and rookie player Stephon Castle as NBA lottery candidates. Castle has yet to reveal his plans.
Clingan was a key recruit for Hurley, a five-star talent who elected to remain in the state after leading Bristol Central High School to a state title. He played his rookie season as a backup to Adama Sanogo, the most outstanding player in the 2023 Final Four, with 6.9 points and 5.6 rebounds.
Clingan took over as a starter this season, but he suffered with foot issues early on, missing five games. Following his comeback, the Huskies dominated, finishing the season with 13 straight victories.
Donovan Clingan scored 11 points in the title game
Clingan surged throughout the 2024 tournament, averaging 15.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks per game, all of which were above his regular-season norms. He concluded the season with an average of 13 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks. And he improved his game in the NCAA Tournament, averaging 15.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks throughout the Huskies' six-game run that ended in the program's sixth NCAA title. Notably, he had a career-high eight blocks in a second-round win over Northwestern. His 19 NCAA Tournament blocks were the highest since 2016.
He scored 11 points in the title game, guarding Purdue's 7-4 standout Zach Edey one-on-one. Edey ended with 37 points and 10 rebounds, but Clingan's defence enabled his teammates to keep up with Purdue's 3-point shooters, limiting the Boilermakers to 1-of-7 from beyond the arc in the Huskies' 75-60 victory.