Donovan Clingan commits to UConn

[ToolzieFan]

Here is an awesome article with some new quotes. The kid just loves UConn.

Journal Inquirer

Serving towns east of the Connecticut River

www.journalinquirer.com

No matter how serious the Kentucky or UNC interest was, the importance of getting Clingan over schools like that is just so huge.

“He told me ‘I want to go to UConn. Why do I have to wait?’ ” Barrette added. “Kentucky came in the picture last week, North Carolina, but he was set on going to UConn.”

I loved this too. Landing a potential impact big man can’t hurt our pursuit of Karaban and another guard.

“I don’t want to sound cocky or anything but they told me I was their biggest target in my class. And they said if I came there, other players would follow,” Clingan said. “They also said they weren’t recruiting another big, that I was their top priority.”

 

[Waquoit]

Just my opinion, that's sounds better than "I just looked at your tape last week".

 

[Brochacho]

And they said if I came there, other players would follow,” Clingan said.

I really like that. Hoping for Starling/Karaban. Assuming RJ Cole uses his 6th year and there is no roster attrition, 22-23 is a Final Four level team.

 

[Chief00]

So AD and JC were going to come back for a no post-season probation year?

You need to read with the nuances I provided vs. your headline reply. I never said Dre thought he was coming back; merely Calhoun was taken by surprise when he told him he was going pro. Additionally, Calhoun has said both privately and publicly that he might have stayed if AD had cone back. Not that he definitely would have stayed but it was a significant factor. Remember, to my recollection no UConn player had left after year 1.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

You need to read with the nuances I provided vs. your headline reply. I never said Dre thought he was coming back; merely Calhoun was taken by surprise when he told him he was going pro. Additionally, Calhoun has said both privately and publicly that he might have stayed if AD had cone back. Not that he definitely would have stayed but it was a significant factor. Remember, to my recollection no UConn player had left after year 1.

I tend to think JC is a bit less naive than you make him out to be here. Most of the posters here knew it was almost certainly going to happen, the national media figured it would almost certainly happen, but somehow Calhoun was surprised by Dre doing what was the obvious decision. Something doesn’t add up there.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

FWIW I do buy Dre possibly coming back if Kris came. Kris was the whole reason Dre came to UConn in the first place. We have him staying at New London to thank for that.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Not Matt Curtis imo (either).

Mike McGuirl from East Catholic for sure.

Tremont Waters, even if only for a year

 

[Chief00]

I tend to think JC is a bit less naive than you make him out to be here. Most of the posters here knew it was almost certainly going to happen, the national media figured it would almost certainly happen, but somehow Calhoun was surprised by Dre doing what was the obvious decision. Something doesn’t add up there.

I don’t think Calhoun is naive at all, but it surprised him. Maybe because Dre was the first of his players going after year 1, and to some extent it was a disappointing year 1 for Dre in terms of results. Maybe it was because Jim missed large chunks of the season due to a NCAA related suspension and health issues and perhaps did not have his usual excellent read on things?
As I recall, when I got DM - I was told the meeting was suppose to be a routine post season exit meeting where they discuss what the player needs to work on over the summer for next season. Dre saying he was going pro was unexpected by Jim at that meeting.

 

[Waquoit]

You need to read with the nuances I provided vs. your headline reply.

No, I do not. Say JC and AD come back for another year like you proposed? So what?

 

[husky99]

You need to read with the nuances I provided vs. your headline reply. I never said Dre thought he was coming back; merely Calhoun was taken by surprise when he told him he was going pro. Additionally, Calhoun has said both privately and publicly that he might have stayed if AD had cone back. Not that he definitely would have stayed but it was a significant factor. Remember, to my recollection no UConn player had left after year 1.

Husky99 is not sure Calhoun ever said that publicly.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

I don’t think Calhoun is naive at all, but it surprised him. Maybe because Dre was the first of his players going after year 1, and to some extent it was a disappointing year 1 for Dre in terms of results. Maybe it was because Jim missed large chunks of the season due to a NCAA related suspension and health issues and perhaps did not have his usual excellent read on things?
As I recall, when I got DM - I was told the meeting was suppose to be a routine post season exit meeting where they discuss what the player needs to work on over the summer for next season. Dre saying he was going pro was unexpected by Jim at that meeting.

Post #486.

I am for 86ing this.

This thread has already demonstrated that even in the aftermath of a huge recruiting win, posters can attack each other with as much vigor as has been seen in the aftermath of disappointing close losses which, just noting, stopped with Cockburn.

Even if you feel goaded, you are a latecomer to this thread first missing an earlier outlet pass shout-out, and now pivoting to mention of an unsourced DM from when JC retired a decade ago, and the early departure of the program's first and only one-and-done. Please, no.

 

[Stinger92860]

Tremont Waters, even if only for a year

He was not $erious about us.

 

[UCDaveD]

Time to stick a fork in this thread.

 

[ToolzieFan]

Just my opinion, that's sounds better than "I just looked at your tape last week".

Hurley wasn’t shy about letting people know Donovan was his number one target, either. If you’re going to put all your eggs in one basket, then you REALLY have to go all-out, and this staff sure did.

 

[Chief00]

Husky99 is not sure Calhoun ever said that publicly.

In general, a well written and pretty accurate Drummond article and Chief will vouch for many parts of from first hand knowledge. Says Calhoun joked about coming back for another year or two if AD had stayed - but he really wasn’t joking and he was quoted at the time in local papers - just tough getting through the paywalls.
Giant Steps

 

[temery]

Nope. This is not you being persecuted for being honest.

Saying that a big needs a lot of development to have an impact? Sure. That’s true for all but at most a handful of bigs a year. But actually wondering if the young man will have a D-1 impact? Yeah, that’s reasonable. Because ithe odds are good that you have your pulse on limitations that the coaching staffs at Michigan, Syracuse, Ohio State and UConn all missed.

Or, you thinking that you have your pulse on limitations that the staffs of at least four normally ranked programs missed is such a ludicrous proposition that maybe you’d show restraint in sharing that “opinion.” Even if it is an honest one.

'This thread would be far more readable if y'all just ignored him.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

'This thread would be far more readable if y'all just ignored him.

Idk man I feel like it got real entertaining towards the end. Had plot twists like my message to like ratio coming back to life and everything.

 

[MTBingNinja]

Idk man I feel like it got real entertaining towards the end. Had plot twists like my message to like ratio coming back to life and everything.

Wouldn’t expect anything less. Good to have some constructive feedback. We know who the trolls are; tough ignoring them though.

 

[husky99]

In general, a well written and pretty accurate Drummond article and Chief will vouch for many parts of from first hand knowledge. Says Calhoun joked about coming back for another year or two if AD had stayed - but he really wasn’t joking and he was quoted at the time in local papers - just tough getting through the paywalls.
Giant Steps

Please husky99 thinks that is a monster leap.... you have zero idea what calhoun is implying and to state as truth is extremely misleading.
My close friend interviewed Calhoun for almost 15 years plus years multiple times a week, was on press calls, and was regularly at 95% of press conferences. Traveled and covered most games... he always said Calhoun loved playing with the press. Zero validity in your statement.
Literally it is not a direct quote and so can be taken wildly out of context

 

[CL82]

Wouldn’t expect anything less. Good to have some constructive feedback. We know who the trolls are; tough ignoring them though.

No it really isn’t.

 

[ZachFan]

Anyone who engages the troll is as guilty as the troll.

Ignore is a great feature.

 

[UChusky916]

Lock this one up. Congrats DC happy to have you as a husky

 

[GHSWolverines]

DC is now one of Sool's lieutenants

 

[uconnfan68]

Anyone who engages the troll is as guilty as the troll.

Ignore is a great feature.

Where is the fun in that?

 

[3rdbass]

People like @3rdbass and @HuskyWarrior611 i think are missing out on a few basic facts. You can’t teach size and the kid will be one of the bigger players in college basketball the day he steps on campus, and he might not even be done growing yet. Second his skill development is still practically in its infancy for a kid so big. He apparently is a very coachable kid and a hard worker so he should show lots of improvement before and after he steps on campus. Sure a similarly rated wing or guard might look much better at this stage of the game and you would be more impressed with their highlights but that’s a bit of a shortsighted view of the situation. We beat out Michigan, Ohio state, and Syracuse for a kid, that should tell you what type of player this kid can be. Your eye test is less important than these programs.

Yeah, I know you can't teach size but also having a big guy who isn't mobile and can't shoot from the outside is not really part of the new game of basketball. It isn't like this guy has a bunch of inside moves and is unstoppable force. Hey I hope I'm wrong about this guy and he is more than a serviceable big but I'm not high on him. We can have opinions on this forum that differ from the masses correct? I love the Floyd pickup earlier and hoping we can pick up some more athletes/shooters in this class.