While the rest of the college basketball world eagerly awaits the showdown between Purdue's Zach Edey and NC State's DJ Burns Jr. in one Final Four matchup, the fastest rising prospect in the country is a big man on the other side of the bracket. In March 2023, UConn Huskies center Donovan Clingan was a freshman reserve playing behind eventual 2023 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player Adama Sanogo, averaging just 6.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per game in just over 13 minutes of action each night. Now, just one year later, Clingan has matured into arguably the Huskies best player, a surefire lottery pick in June's NBA Draft, and the worthy recipient of the nickname “Cling Kong.”
Clingan has had a handful of eye-popping performances in the month of March. The first was in the Big East Tournament Final, a game in which Clingan recorded 22 points and 16 rebounds in a 73-57 win over Marquette. Eight days later, Clingan led Connecticut past Northwestern in the Round of 32 with a dominant 14 point, 14 rebound, 8 block showing. Perhaps his finest performance of the season came in the Elite Eight versus an Illinois squad that entered the game as the nation's 2nd-highest scoring team. The Illini were held to just 52 points in large part because they could not score when challenging Cling Kong. Literally. They did not score.
Illinois shot 3-for-25 from inside the arc (12%) in Clingan's 22 minutes on the floor, going 0-for-19 when challenging him directly, according to ESPN Stats & Information research,” per ESPN's NBA Draft expert Jonathan Givony. “He blocked close to half of those attempts (despite only being officially credited with five) while altering many others with his 7-foot-7 wingspan and incredible timing as a rim protector.”
In Givony's latest mock draft on ESPN, he has the Charlotte Hornets selecting Clingan with the 3rd pick in the Draft. That's one hell of a come up for a guy who played just 13 minutes per game as a raw freshman. But Clingan has obviously put a great deal of work into his craft, still has plenty of room to grow, and because of that, people around the league are wondering what Clingan's ceiling may be. “One general manager asked ESPN recently, ‘Rudy Gobert or Donovan Clingan?' regarding who will be the more impactful defensive player, which highlights a college player being compared to a three-time NBA defensive player of the year winner,” writes Givony.
Everyone loves Donovan
ESPN's Jonathan Givony isn't the only NBA Draft expert who is enamored with Donovan Clingan's NBA potential. Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer has also expressed his excitement about Clingan's upside, slating him in as the 7th pick in his March 28th NBA Mock Draft. Today, O'Connor wrote the following of Clingan:
“In a draft class without any sure bets, Clingan stands out because of his bankable skills. It’s safe to say he will be a high-level rim protector with a clear path to potential All-Defensive team consideration. He’s also an excellent finisher at the rim, has magnetic hands, and is a smart-decision maker who can make savvy passes in the paint. So, at a minimum, the team drafting Clingan can feel confident it’s getting a center who brings foundational skills at a critical position.”
He also shared a clip from Saturday's Elite Eight matchup between UConn and Illinois, pointing out what he called “the defining sequence of a truly dominant performance.”
Donovan Clingan with his defining sequence of a truly dominant performance pic.twitter.com/SYnOIV9371
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) March 30, 2024
Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman had Clingan going 7th in his latest mock draft, while Jeff Zillgitt and Scooby Axson of USA Today had Clingan rounding out the lottery before the NCAA Tournament began.
Assuming Clingan and the Huskies can get past Alabama in the Final Four, that sets up a high profile championship game matchup with either tournament darling DJ Burns Jr., or dominant Purdue center Zach Edey, who put together a performance for the ages against Tennessee in the Elite Eight. Either way, the next two games will provide Donovan Clingan two more opportunities to continue to rise up draft boards.
Follow Us
Subscribe