Donovan Clingan commits to UConn

[QDOG5]

I'm so happy that DC decided to stay home. I agree with many posters that his recruitment was more important than just DC the basketball player. It is a statement recruit in so many ways. My prediction is that DC will exceed expectations. All signs point to UConn getting a third high impact recruit for 2022. I'm very impressed with the program. Consider the madness with the transfer portal and UConn didn't lose one player it wanted to keep(Bouk going pro doesn't count). I think it all started when DH was hired and he didn't clean house. It spoke volumes about how Hurley was going to run the program. Back to back top 10 recruiting classes shows the momentum is all positive. I wish the season started tomorrow.

 

[CL82]

I really hope no one expects this kid to be a space eater

Lol, at 7' 2"? Yeah, I expect him to be that at minimum.

I want to return to the days where the only time the opposing team wasn't worrying about blocked shots was in the lay up line. We've already got some decent athletes right now who can do that. I look forward to seeing opposing guards worrying about shooting around Clingan and getting blocked by Akok.

 

[BGesus4]

Gotta remember Donovan is a year younger than most of the other kids in his class, too.

Good point. Good chance he’s still growing too

 

[Husky Alien]

Lol, at 7' 2"? Yeah, I expect him to be that at minimum.

I want to return to the days where the only time the opposing team wasn't worrying about blocked shots was in the lay up line. We've already got some decent athletes right now who can do that. I look forward to seeing opposing guards worrying about shooting around Clingan and getting blocked by Akok.

It's going to be a block party! By no means, this year should be too.

 

[Get a Job]

Lol, at 7' 2"? Yeah, I expect him to be that at minimum.

I want to return to the days where the only time the opposing team wasn't worrying about blocked shots was in the lay up line. We've already got some decent athletes right now who can do that. I look forward to seeing opposing guards worrying about shooting around Clingan and getting blocked by Akok.

I could be making up the recollection, but I seem to remember a former Syracuse player saying in a Cameo that he and his teammates did, in fact, worry about getting blocked by UConn in the layup line.

 

[CTMike]

maybe because the competition in LL Connecticut basketball is not like AAU competition. He chose to stay at Bristol Central, instead of going to a prep school and playing against tougher more talented players. I really hope no one expects this kid to be a space eater or dominant 5. We all can agree that dominant big men are few and far between. All or most all of these big men want to be perimeter players. Very few are low on the blocks players. It's just not the way a majority of teams play anymore. Gone is the dominant low post player. It's been replaced by the hybrid 4/5. You do not see players like Patrick Ewing, Shaq, Alonzo Mourning, Tim Duncan, David Robinson They are from another generation, and another time. As to "shatting" on all things UConn, even you can agree that other than the women's program, (yeah I know a sore subject here) football and basket ball are not what you call stellar. I will give men's b-ball a chance, since they have now gone back to where they belong, the Big East, from that hole of the American Conference. Football is another story. The program has been a train wreck for years. Spurred on by the state politics, and the promise that the Patriots were relocating to Hartford...........................LOL, football was rushed into D-1, when it was clearly not ready in any way shape or form. What's next for this program is anybody's guess. Will it turn itself into a Boise St. program, or a middle of the road also ran. I can guess that you are still digging through that horse stall, that's loaded with horse crap, looking for that pony. Good luck with that.

 

[UCDaveD]

Jesus, some imbeciles are really worried about a 7’1” kid’s 3 point percentage?

 

[slepers]

maybe because the competition in LL Connecticut basketball is not like AAU competition. He chose to stay at Bristol Central, instead of going to a prep school and playing against tougher more talented players. I really hope no one expects this kid to be a space eater or dominant 5. We all can agree that dominant big men are few and far between. All or most all of these big men want to be perimeter players. Very few are low on the blocks players. It's just not the way a majority of teams play anymore. Gone is the dominant low post player. It's been replaced by the hybrid 4/5. You do not see players like Patrick Ewing, Shaq, Alonzo Mourning, Tim Duncan, David Robinson They are from another generation, and another time. As to "shatting" on all things UConn, even you can agree that other than the women's program, (yeah I know a sore subject here) football and basket ball are not what you call stellar. I will give men's b-ball a chance, since they have now gone back to where they belong, the Big East, from that hole of the American Conference. Football is another story. The program has been a train wreck for years. Spurred on by the state politics, and the promise that the Patriots were relocating to Hartford...........................LOL, football was rushed into D-1, when it was clearly not ready in any way shape or form. What's next for this program is anybody's guess. Will it turn itself into a Boise St. program, or a middle of the road also ran. I can guess that you are still digging through that horse stall, that's loaded with horse crap, looking for that pony. Good luck with that.

I guess winning 4 yes 4 championships in the last 22 years isn’t stellar. Also, the football program appeared in a BCS game when it was rushed into division 1. Maybe you want to redraft another statement. All things don’t succeed being a clone of what is going on in the current state of basketball. Maybe a dominant true 5 will produce NUMBER 5.

 

[Husky Alien]

Jesus, some imbeciles are really worried about a 7’1” kid’s 3 point percentage?

They watch way to much pro ball.

 

[Jbirdp5]

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.

I tried to explain why I thought your opinion was wrong, isn’t that what we do on this forum? Why put your opinion if you don’t want the “masses” to say anything about it?

 

[3rdbass]

I tried to explain why I thought your opinion was wrong, isn’t that what we do on this forum? Why put your opinion if you don’t want the “masses” to say anything about it?

Yeah and I refuted it again. Either way we will find out on the court who is right. I'm remain lukewarm on this pickup.

 

[Huskyforlife]

Yeah and I refuted it again. Either way we will find out on the court who is right. I'm remain lukewarm on this pickup.

Really happy for ya bud.

 

[UCSouth]

Really happy for ya bud.

I think, and these are solely my thoughts, that there may be some clueless or quite possibly dare I say miserable posters on this board. I'm not going to name names, but you just replied to one of them and another used to put out fires. Just saying...

 

[pj]

Here are my severely belated takes:

• This is a big recruiting win, but more for off-court reasons
• I'm skeptical that this kid will have the kind of on-court impact that some people expect. It's really difficult to design a college offense around a 7'1 center unless he's absolutely dominant. He's ranked around #50, not #5. I'm not as worried about his shooting, because even a 4-out offense can work with a center who's anchored in the post, but it's a legitimate question of whether he can score and defend against even 6'9 well-built bigs.
• That said, fending off the likes of Michigan and (per whispers) UNC or Kentucky is a big deal. Outside of the portal, Hurley and staff are kind of on a roll. There haven't been too many high-profile recruiting misses under this regime, and winning this one makes a statement about UConn's status on the national landscape. Good recruiting begets good recruiting, even if the player ultimately doesn't live up to the hype.

Your second bullet strikes me as way too pessimistic. Even if he's not dominant, he can still average 20 mpg and dominate certain opponents, while providing a change of pace against the others. There are plenty of college teams that have no match up answer for a big center.

And if he develops, then he can dominate everybody. We'll see.

 

[3rdbass]

I think, and these are solely my thoughts, that there may be some clueless or quite possibly dare I say miserable posters on this board. I'm not going to name names, but you just replied to one of them and another used to put out fires. Just saying...

LOL! Ok I'm definitely not one of the miserable posters. I love UCONN basketball and have been to 4 of our 5 final fours. I bleed blue and white and love the team and give props when I agree with certain moves. I just don't care for this one compared to the Floyd pickup which I loved. Wow, some posters just love to have their rose colored glasses on every time. I love Dan Hurley as a coach and fully back him up. I was one of the first posters to call for Oliie's head and Dan Hurley should be the coach going forward. I trust in him even if I'm not as excited. I hope you aren't comparing me to freescooter who is just spammer on this site now.

 

[Umami Zen]

DH/staff have made it clear that DC was their target/guy. They did not even go after Lively with any focused effort even though they had access through certain AAU relationships to get him on campus. That should tell you something about what they see in this young man.

Yarders are entitled to their opinion but DH is happy.

He's the guy .Let's build around him with athletes/two way players/bucket-getters. Work on a fast-break.. And take it to the BE and the Tournament. We don't need a center who can hit three pointers if you already have other talented shooters.

Two more pieces for 2022 and let's rock and roll.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

I hope you are comparing me to freescooter who is just spammer on this site now.

I hope you meant to write "aren't" in the sentence quoted above.

In the meantime, I'll change the subject to this gem from the April 1972 National Lampoon.

 

[Hoophound]

What is DA and BT?

 

[bendm]

They’re either Bigs who stand at the 3 point line and they are useless because they don’t use their size. Or they are big and use their size in the paint, but also equally useless cause they don’t go to the 3pt line.

besides the rudy goberts and brook lopezs there's a third category of Centers as we've seen in the nba playoffs: the deandre aytons. he's not a superstar like embiid or joker that can score inside and out, but he's offensively skilled enough to stay on the floor and punish teams down low when they go small.

while the clipps were able to get gobert off the floor by going small they couldnt do the same against the suns and ayton. clingan will be more like ayton than gobert in terms of being able to both score and defend.

 

[3rdbass]

besides the rudy goberts and brook lopezs there's a third category of Centers as we've seen in the nba playoffs: the deandre aytons. he's not a superstar like embiid or joker but he's offensively skilled enough to stay on the floor and punish teams when they go small.

while the clipps were able to get gobert off the floor by going small they couldnt do the same against the suns and ayton. clingan will be more like ayton than gobert in terms of offensive impact.

Ayton is more athletic though than Clingan.

 

[3rdbass]

I hope you meant to write "aren't" in the sentence quoted above.

In the meantime, I'll change the subject to this gem from the April 1972 National Lampoon.
View attachment 68423

Good catch. LOL!

 

[bendm]

Ayton is more athletic though than Clingan.

not really relevant to my point, i'm not directly comparing clingan to ayton. for starters i dont think clingan is going to be a future #1 pick.... but clingan's impact in college will be more comparable to ayton than gobert because he's not a one dimensional player.

 

[UCSouth]

Ayton is more athletic though than Clingan.

Why do you feel like it's necessary to take a jab at this 17yo kid at every turn. Don't say anything more about the kid if that's all you've got. Have you figured out which of the 2 you are from the previous post of mine.

 

[David 76]

Good point. Good chance he’s still growing too

He still 16?

 

[Umami Zen]

Ayton is more athletic though than Clingan.

Clingan is 17 yrs old. .Let's let him enjoy his senior year in HS and develop his game a little bit in CBB before comparing him to NBA guys