Clingan going to work this summer! | Page 3 | The Boneyard

Clingan going to work this summer!

I couldn’t agree more. I’ve said this, but I am just not used to high achieving 50 year olds being this open to personal growth and demonstrating it by putting in actual work (not just Ted Talks). Hurley’s mindset is extremely impressive and I vastly underrated it.
Yes, good for him but a 50 yo coach in the spotlight should be able to handle it better, especially when there is a ton a buzz about it so he doesn't need a shadow.
 
Geno bustin' on AK flyby about his D is pretty funny.. I think Dan Hurley has given Geno access to enjoy his guys ..Which is cool.. And I'm sure the team benefitted from some Genoisms along the way to number 5..Just like they did with JC..
 
There's no doubt when you lose a player like Adama you will miss him. But if DC can do the things you discuss here, the impact will be less than we think. If he can stay out of foul trouble like AS did we know on the defensive end alone we will be fine for sure. If he can now make a few jumpers, some jump hooks and move the feet more on the low block we will be fine in the middle. Lots of "ifs" though.

Key also is Sangare or a portal big, we need a back up to keep the momentum of the 5 we had with these 2 this year.
I was kind of surprised he hadn't already developed a baby hook. No doubt he needs to improve his FT%, but while jump shooting and an occasional 3 is ok, i think the 2 things that would make him unstoppable would be to 1) learn a bit of Sanogos patience around the hoop even if he never comes close to Sanogo’s A+ footwork and 2) a consistent baby hook. Very hard to stop him with those 2 improvements in addition to the FT.
 
Our best big man and player Adama Sanogo, declares for the draft and is unlikely to return, and not one poster here is freaking out or seems concerned about next season.

I wonder why?
Some of that is because his 7’2” back up had a great freshman season, but some of that is also the unspoken notion that when you win a national championship for us, you have “earned” to go pro and some of that is national championship afterglow.
 
I was kind of surprised he hadn't already developed a baby hook. No doubt he needs to improve his FT%, but while jump shooting and an occasional 3 is ok, i think the 2 things that would make him unstoppable would be to 1) learn a bit of Sanogos patience around the hoop even if he never comes close to Sanogo’s A+ footwork and 2) a consistent baby hook. Very hard to stop him with those 2 improvements in addition to the FT.

Agree 100% on the patience piece cohenzone! He rushed so many other potential finishes this past year just that alone will improve. Keep the ball up and take your time, even a 7'2" guy could use a ball fake here and there no need to go up immediately at all times especially when not dunking it. Get the feet set and strong before you take it at them, this alone would help him become an amazing finisher.
 
There's only one person understanding the FT jumps from big men in this conversation. This is all players over 6'9" from BartTorvik who were freshman in freshman in 2021. Not a full list because for some reason the 2021 data is incomplete (I know Zach Edey is missing from that year for some reason). It's very rare to see that significant of a jump in FT%

PlayerFreshman FT%Sophomore FT%FT% GainJunior FT%FT% Gain
Abou Ousmane
57.3%​
72.2%​
14.9%​
Adama Sanogo
57.7%​
68.6%​
10.9%​
76.6%​
8.0%​
Amari Williams
61.0%​
60.6%​
-0.4%​
Andre Screen
60.5%​
56.8%​
-3.7%​
Andrew Carr
84.4%​
65.7%​
-18.7%​
77.3%​
11.6%​
Ben Wight
66.7%​
65.3%​
-1.4%​
64.0%​
-1.3%​
Bernardo Da Silva
74.6%​
50.9%​
-23.7%​
Charlie Peterson
54.1%​
45.3%​
-8.8%​
Chris Nix
65.2%​
51.0%​
-14.2%​
CJ Huntley
60.9%​
74.2%​
13.3%​
Clifford Omoruyi
60.2%​
60.4%​
0.2%​
Coleman Hawkins
65.0%​
61.4%​
-3.6%​
Damian Forrest
73.0%​
55.7%​
-17.3%​
David Skogman
82.9%​
88.2%​
5.3%​
Essam Mostafa
59.8%​
61.0%​
1.2%​
68.7%​
7.7%​
Garrett Hien
53.1%​
51.0%​
-2.1%​
Hunter Dickinson
73.9%​
80.2%​
6.3%​
72.7%​
-7.5%​
Jeff Woodward
52.9%​
58.9%​
6.0%​
Johnny O'Neil
62.5%​
57.6%​
-4.9%​
61.4%​
3.8%​
Jordan Brown
62.3%​
60.0%​
-2.3%​
Josh Bannan
83.8%​
79.0%​
-4.8%​
76.9%​
-2.1%​
Josh Cohen
63.7%​
64.6%​
0.9%​
Liam McChesney
81.6%​
73.9%​
-7.7%​
Matt Rogers
65.5%​
68.7%​
3.2%​
Max Fiedler
69.9%​
60.6%​
-9.3%​
Mike Marsh
54.9%​
68.9%​
14.0%​
Moussa Cisse
32.4%​
56.2%​
23.8%​
41.0%​
-15.2%​
Nelly Junior Joseph
63.8%​
65.7%​
1.9%​
62.4%​
-3.3%​
Patrick McCaffery
71.4%​
77.1%​
5.7%​
PJ Hall
78.1%​
78.6%​
0.5%​
Rienk Mast
73.1%​
68.8%​
-4.3%​
73.6%​
4.8%​
Ryan Kalkbrenner
73.6%​
79.5%​
5.9%​
Sam Mennenga
51.6%​
62.5%​
10.9%​
62.2%​
-0.3%​
Steve Settle III
76.1%​
79.8%​
3.7%​
Steven Crowl
80.0%​
63.4%​
-16.6%​
Supreme Cook
58.1%​
63.7%​
5.6%​
63.0%​
-0.7%​
Tim Fuller
42.9%​
60.8%​
17.9%​
Trayce Jackson-Davis
67.4%​
69.5%​
2.1%​
Tristan da Silva
79.7%​
75.5%​
-4.2%​
Tsotne Tsartsidze
78.0%​
66.7%​
-11.3%​
Tyson Jackson
65.8%​
57.0%​
-8.8%​
Zach Edey
64.9%​
73.4%​
8.5%​
Torvik defaults to filtering sub 40% minutes by default, could be the issue.
 
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Not too concerned with FT as his stroke seemed solid. He probably needs to shed a few more pounds and get his conditioning up and cut down on the fouls.
He was getting called for a lot of fouls just by being slightly out of position and bringing his arms down. Hopefully, small adjustments
 
Predict a big jump in his game after this summer of skill development/conditioning/SnC.. A lot of his offense this past year was opportunity -based.. Lobs/Oops/Dunks.. Offensive put backs.. Energy baskets.. Change up from what AS brought to the table.. He will be more of a focal point next season and will add to his tool kit/moves as a result..

Saw a few up and under moves when he was given space this year.. Talent is there.. Just getting in the reps over the next 3 or four months this summer. Will be getting fouled much more next season.. Would be great to see a 65-70% FT percentage progression by end of next season.. Tournament time..

Next year's team will need to be smart about giving him space to work in .. More of a space-eater than AS..
Edit: Clearly will always be a vertical threat as shown this past year..
 
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Hypothetically connecting a few dots here.
Clingans from Bristol. Drew Ghio from Bristol was a walk on long snapper at UConn. Drew’s dad, Bill, has done quite well for himself with owning a region for Dunkin’ in CT and was a pretty good hoopster back in the day.

This appearance could’ve been part of a UConn collective. Dom spends Q time with the kids in New Haven and gets comped for his time. Win win all around

All hypothetical of course
 
Saw a few up and under moves when he was given space this year

Can one really go "under" when your defender is 6 inches shorter than you most nights?

He's going to have great opportunities this summer like Jordan did last summer, and we saw the jump he made. Should be getting tons of reps with NBA guys.

If I'm Donovan I'm working on
  • Limited 3 ball. Maybe just a basic catch and shoot at the top of the key like Adama had. Nothing fancy, just show he has it in the bag for the draft and to open up the floor a hair for those Castle/Newton/Karaban drives.
  • FT shooting
  • Touch at the rim. When he isn't dunking, his touch isn't great. If he's going to make the jump to a 12-15ppg scorer or more, the difference will be in the ability to make layups (and FTs).
  • S&C (everyone can improve)
  • Get in the film room and do a deep dive into where the foul issues were.
 
.-.
Can one really go "under" when your defender is 6 inches shorter than you most nights?

He's going to have great opportunities this summer like Jordan did last summer, and we saw the jump he made. Should be getting tons of reps with NBA guys.

If I'm Donovan I'm working on
  • Limited 3 ball. Maybe just a basic catch and shoot at the top of the key like Adama had. Nothing fancy, just show he has it in the bag for the draft and to open up the floor a hair for those Castle/Newton/Karaban drives.
  • FT shooting
  • Touch at the rim. When he isn't dunking, his touch isn't great. If he's going to make the jump to a 12-15ppg scorer or more, the difference will be in the ability to make layups (and FTs).
  • S&C (everyone can improve)
  • Get in the film room and do a deep dive into where the foul issues were.
Fair enough on your "under" comment but I do remember a few up fake moves that he took advantage of.. Faking the defender into the air /he did not dunk.. And laid the ball in softly with decent footwork.. Had a McHale vibe to them.. And I realize Kevin was a PF.. Not a 7'3'' dude..
 
Fair enough on your "under" comment but I do remember a few up fake moves that he took advantage of.. Faking the defender into the air /he did not dunk.. And laid the ball in softly with decent footwork.. Had a McHale vibe to them.. And I realize Kevin was a PF.. Not a 7'3'' dude..

I'm just messing with you. "Up and under" doesn't really mean you need to go under the defend... just up fake and get them to react.

His footwork is decent and improving. When he doesn't rush, hands are soft enough. Patience and finding the right shot (or pass out) will be key.
 
I'm just messing with you. "Up and under" doesn't really mean you need to go under the defend... just up fake and get them to react.

His footwork is decent and improving. When he doesn't rush, hands are soft enough. Patience and finding the right shot (or pass out) will be key.
Of the many skills that he possesses.. I was impressed with his hands.. The strength to take control of the ball and the softness to catch tough passes .. Also helps with touch on passing-which he's very good at as well.
 
Can one really go "under" when your defender is 6 inches shorter than you most nights?

He's going to have great opportunities this summer like Jordan did last summer, and we saw the jump he made. Should be getting tons of reps with NBA guys.

If I'm Donovan I'm working on
  • Limited 3 ball. Maybe just a basic catch and shoot at the top of the key like Adama had. Nothing fancy, just show he has it in the bag for the draft and to open up the floor a hair for those Castle/Newton/Karaban drives.
  • FT shooting
  • Touch at the rim. When he isn't dunking, his touch isn't great. If he's going to make the jump to a 12-15ppg scorer or more, the difference will be in the ability to make layups (and FTs).
  • S&C (everyone can improve)
  • Get in the film room and do a deep dive into where the foul issues were.
Spot on. People were calling for more minutes, but I don't think he could have played 25 mpg last year at the intensity level needed. Needs to improve S&C. We know he can because he made a huge leap from HS. Adama did as well.

Touch and patience at the rim, and a baby hook would be unstoppable. Later in the season he was often just throwing the ball at the glass. I think he got a little rattled by guys with size defending him and sped things up. It's understandable, he really didn't face that in HS. I'm confident that experience will help, and Singare is a good, different practice partner for him.

Curious what the film room shows. He guarded bigs inside very effectively, didn't foul often. He fouled slashers and guards attacking the rim a lot. He chases them going for the block. Sometimes gets it, but also gets them. Needs to just trust his height and reach. If they make a very difficult shot over you, that's fine. Forcing low percentage shots is the goal. Can't block everything.
 
Can one really go "under" when your defender is 6 inches shorter than you most nights?

He's going to have great opportunities this summer like Jordan did last summer, and we saw the jump he made. Should be getting tons of reps with NBA guys.

If I'm Donovan I'm working on
  • Limited 3 ball. Maybe just a basic catch and shoot at the top of the key like Adama had. Nothing fancy, just show he has it in the bag for the draft and to open up the floor a hair for those Castle/Newton/Karaban drives.
Yup. Sanogo and Walker Kessler each took about 50 3's, and even though Kessler didn't hit them, that was enough for teams to look at the form and decide it's a possibility to go along with his rim protection. But can't take too many, because we need him by the rim to be an oreb monster.
 
.-.
Spot on. People were calling for more minutes, but I don't think he could have played 25 mpg last year at the intensity level needed. Needs to improve S&C. We know he can because he made a huge leap from HS. Adama did as well.

Touch and patience at the rim, and a baby hook would be unstoppable. Later in the season he was often just throwing the ball at the glass. I think he got a little rattled by guys with size defending him and sped things up. It's understandable, he really didn't face that in HS. I'm confident that experience will help, and Singare is a good, different practice partner for him.

Curious what the film room shows. He guarded bigs inside very effectively, didn't foul often. He fouled slashers and guards attacking the rim a lot. He chases them going for the block. Sometimes gets it, but also gets them. Needs to just trust his height and reach. If they make a very difficult shot over you, that's fine. Forcing low percentage shots is the goal. Can't block everything.
I think when your starting center is Adama, the backup center can risk some foul trouble and be a little more aggressive going for blocks. DC altered A LOT of shots and that doesn’t show up in the stats.
 
Is there a known single season dunks record for a uconn player? Donovan should smash it next season
 
You can speculate any way you want but I trust Hurley if he said Donovan has green light to shoot 3s next season, he must have seen enough in practice that Donovan has the potential to develop a reliable shot beyond the arc.

With his work ethics and drive, it’s not a stretch to say ( color me biased after all I bought Clingan T shirt) that he may be one of best big men in the history of college basketball and top 5 lottery pick when it’s all said and done.
 
You can speculate any way you want but I trust Hurley if he said Donovan has green light to shoot 3s next season, he must have seen enough in practice that Donovan has the potential to develop a reliable shot beyond the arc.

With his work ethics and drive, it’s not a stretch to say ( color me biased after all I bought Clingan T shirt) that he may be one of best big men in the history of college basketball and top 5 lottery pick when it’s all said and done.

If DC uses the same discretion that Sanogo did, it should be fine. Done right it should open up spacing on the offensive end. The key is knowing when to take them and not getting baited into taking them.
 
Our best big man and player Adama Sanogo, declares for the draft and is unlikely to return, and not one poster here is freaking out or seems concerned about next season.

I wonder why?
Like the song says, you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone.
 
Our best big man and player Adama Sanogo, declares for the draft and is unlikely to return, and not one poster here is freaking out or seems concerned about next season.

I wonder why?
He's the prominent reason for number 5. As valuable if not more than Oakafor. Clingan, different,
was and will be great but we don't have another Sanogo walking thru that door. Just my opinion.
 
.-.
He's the prominent reason for number 5. As valuable if not more than Oakafor. Clingan, different,
was and will be great but we don't have another Sanogo walking thru that door. Just my opinion.
Screenshot_20230426-201346_Chrome.jpg
Screenshot_20230426-201358_Chrome.jpg
 
I think his free throw issues are much more related to his sporadic playing time and conditioning than form. Kinda like relief pitchers and accuracy - if you aren't getting shots us and in the flow, shooting a free throw cold can be tough. I bet with higher confidence and more consistent minutes he'll be in the 70s next year. Just like adama from freshman to sophomore
 
I'll ask Karaban what he thinks of Clingan shooting threes next year.
My guess is he would reply, "if I am doubled I'll get him the ball, should he be I know he will kick it back to me or the open teammate.;)
Our best big man and player Adama Sanogo, declares for the draft and is unlikely to return, and not one poster here is freaking out or seems concerned about next season.

I wonder why?
Just a few here, nobody freaking out because in Hurley we trust. Up to eight players moving on and a couple testing the NBA waters that may stay on board. It's the new world order of college ball. Don't loose any sleep over it. :)
Dan also missed a call from the president... LOL
 
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Can one really go "under" when your defender is 6 inches shorter than you most nights?

He's going to have great opportunities this summer like Jordan did last summer, and we saw the jump he made. Should be getting tons of reps with NBA guys.

If I'm Donovan I'm working on
  • Limited 3 ball. Maybe just a basic catch and shoot at the top of the key like Adama had. Nothing fancy, just show he has it in the bag for the draft and to open up the floor a hair for those Castle/Newton/Karaban drives.
  • FT shooting
  • Touch at the rim. When he isn't dunking, his touch isn't great. If he's going to make the jump to a 12-15ppg scorer or more, the difference will be in the ability to make layups (and FTs).
  • S&C (everyone can improve)
  • Get in the film room and do a deep dive into where the foul issues were.

Minor quibble. Under the assumption he is getting 25-28 minutes a night, he should be at 12-14 easily. IMO, if he wants to get to 18+ then touch at the rim and FTs is where he will need to improve. He dunks it enough and has good enough touch right now to get to 12-14.
 
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