Donovan Clingan commits to UConn

[CL82]

There was only one thread that was all about Bouknight, prior to his signing, with more than ten posts in it, and almost no tweet posts or media articles about his recruitment. With Clingan there were multiple threads about his recruitment, speculation from Boneyard veterans that he wasn’t coming here, to speculation threads about Steve Pikeil having the inside track because he lived in Clingan’s home town to threads about all his visits. Many times I saw the word “game changer” floated also. Never saw stuff like that during Bouknight’s recruitment. My feeling on Bouknight is many fans and recruiting guru’s underestimated how good he really was. If they had, he would’ve been a 5 star and probably never would’ve come here.

Lol, are you seriously going back to count the number of thread Bouk got 3 years ago on the BY? And you think that that is somehow relevant to Clingan? SMH...

 

[QDOG5]

I didn't get that either. Maybe 60 are invited and 40 are selected from applicants?

The camp has been around since 1994. My guess is they realized 100 was too many. They settled on 60 and never changed the camp name. My only other guess would be it is Covid related. UConn players who have attended include Kemba, Drummond, and Daniel Hamilton.

 

[Husky Alien]

Very happy to have DC in that national flag blue uni. Anyone not that happy is just whacked out of their mind. I really could care less who he plays against in the CIAC his game has grown tremendously in his 3 years of HS and having little nats hanging on your arms and swinging away at the ball every time you bring it down is as much of a pain, and sometimes worst than going up against another big with little ability. He has really good footwork, knows where the basket is and can pass the ball. I love Sanogo but he's scary with the ball when he needs to get it back out let's be honest we won't be with DC (I expect AS to improve mind you).

Amazing to me how quiet on the Karaban front though, would've liked to hit the daily double last weekend!

Liked everything that you posted with the exception of Sanogo. I think he got better towards the end of the season on getting the ball out and making quicker decisions with the ball. Albeit taking it to the hoop or getting it out of the paint.

 

[huskymedic]

I didn't get that either. Maybe 60 are invited and 40 are selected from applicants?

The camp has been around since 1994. My guess is they realized 100 was too many. They settled on 60 and never changed the camp name. My only other guess would be it is Covid related. UConn players who have attended include Kemba, Drummond, and Daniel Hamilton.

-> This year’s TOP 100 Camp is set to take place from July 25-31 at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida and will operate at a reduced capacity, featuring 60 of the top high school basketball players from around the country. <-

No rosters listed yet…

 

[WhereistheDove?]

There was only one thread that was all about Bouknight, prior to his signing, with more than ten posts in it, and almost no tweet posts or media articles about his recruitment. With Clingan there were multiple threads about his recruitment, speculation from Boneyard veterans that he wasn’t coming here, to speculation threads about Steve Pikeil having the inside track because he lived in Clingan’s home town to threads about all his visits. Many times I saw the word “game changer” floated also. Never saw stuff like that during Bouknight’s recruitment. My feeling on Bouknight is many fans and recruiting guru’s underestimated how good he really was. If they had, he would’ve been a 5 star and probably never would’ve come here.

Dude, you made your point, it was wrong, now just say I was wrong and move on. I don't get why some posters on this board pick such weird hills to die on. People were pumped about Bouknight (and mostly thought his injury was the only thing keeping the top schools from getting involved) and people are pumped about Clingan. I can't comprehend how this is leading to a BY argument.

 

[Fatroony5]

There’s something that makes it even sweeter to keep local talent home. There just haven’t been many guys who came up in CT that are as nationally recognized as DC is now.

I remember watching Doug Wiggins and seeing his highlight tapes spreading around the internet and how electric those games were for playing at a public high school. I was so excited when he committed. Drummond had that as well just in terms of National recognition and the hype it brought when he committed. I would’ve been super disappointed if UConn missed out on DC. Young fella is so loyal, he wants to ball out and win a title with his local town, how can you not love that? No clue why there’s so much hate in here, he’s easy to root for and will ball out. Staff have shown they can develop big men, why would he be any different?

 

[mauconnfan]

Liked everything that you posted with the exception of Sanogo. I think he got better towards the end of the season on getting the ball out and making quicker decisions with the ball. Albeit taking it to the hoop or getting it out of the paint.

He did get better but he was dreadful before that. As I said he's a smart kid will figure it out.

 

[Kembacity]

There’s something that makes it even sweeter to keep local talent home. There just haven’t been many guys who came up in CT that are as nationally recognized as DC is now.

I remember watching Doug Wiggins and seeing his highlight tapes spreading around the internet and how electric those games were for playing at a public high school. I was so excited when he committed. Drummond had that as well just in terms of National recognition and the hype it brought when he committed. I would’ve been super disappointed if UConn missed out on DC. Young fella is so loyal, he wants to ball out and win a title with his local town, how can you not love that? No clue why there’s so much hate in here, he’s easy to root for and will ball out. Staff have shown they can develop big men, why would he be any different?

Yeah it’s this entirely, you have a 7’ kid in CT who is a sought after recruit, obviously we’re all going to salivate vs discussion of hundreds of kids nationwide who might blossom into terrific athletes.

not understanding how this person doesn’t get the buzz on DC being simply “different”, we all always say “you can’t teach height”, and it’s true! When a kid is scary tall he’s got eyes on him differently than “this kid is quick and has a knack for the game” because dozens and dozens of other kids have the same skills...

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

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.

Clingan moves no where near as well as either Gobert or Ayton though. I’m not sure what exactly he does at anywhere near the level of either. Especially Ayton when they were around the same age.
It’s cool that we’re keeping the hometown kid home and winning a national recruitment like this. It’s very important. But the kids game has a lot of flaws. He has one big thing going for him right now and it’s just his height. I saw someone compare him to Sanogo and it’s like huh? Sanogo’s game in high school is light years ahead of DCs. Like guys, DC has a LOT of work to do. Physically, skill wise, all that. But yes he’s 7’2 so if he puts it together he can be dominant, which is why he’s so sought after. But he’s a ways away from that. I don’t think he’ll be an instant impact player what so ever.

 

[superjohn]

Clingan moves no where near as well as either Gobert or Ayton though. I’m not sure what exactly he does at anywhere near the level of either. Especially Ayton when they were around the same age.
It’s cool that we’re keeping the hometown kid home and winning a national recruitment like this. It’s very important. But the kids game has a lot of flaws. He has one big thing going for him right now and it’s just his height. I saw someone compare him to Sanogo and it’s like huh? Sanogo’s game in high school is light years ahead of DCs. Like guys, DC has a LOT of work to do. Physically, skill wise, all that. But yes he’s 7’2 so if he puts it together he can be dominant, which is why he’s so sought after. But he’s a ways away from that. I don’t think he’ll be an instant impact player what so ever.

There's zero chance you watched Sanogo's high school games.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

There's zero chance you watched Sanogo's high school games.

Oh you mean these ones?



Guys, Hurley has recruited more than enough great talent to not have to be this unreasonable over DC. Are we really going to sit here and say Adama wasn't offensively gifted in high school and that DC is comparable to him. Really?? Mind you Adama's competition is new jersey prep school. First play in the highlight was better than anything I've seen in DC's. I don't think I saw him do a drop step dunk on anyone in LL. But again maybe I just missed watched the wrong highlight.

 

[husky429]

There's zero chance you watched Sanogo's high school games.

I mean, Sanogo's game was light years ahead of Donovan's RE: post skills and rebounding. There are only a handful of D1 players that have better footwork than Sanogo and he's definitely a better rebounder at the same stage. Donovan's passing is much better, and he's also 5 inches taller. They're both talented, just in very different ways.

 

[superjohn]

I mean, Sanogo's game was light years ahead of Donovan's RE: post skills and rebounding. There are only a handful of D1 players that have better footwork than Sanogo and he's definitely a better rebounder at the same stage. Donovan's passing is much better, and he's also 5 inches taller. They're both talented, just in very different ways.

There's zero chance he watched Sanogo's high school games.

 

[husky429]

I've never seen passing skills be valued for big men above all other skills.

I don't think anyone said that. Rebounding is probably the most important skill in a big. Passing is still something that makes him more valuable on offense than if he didn't.

 

[MDHuskFan]

I've never seen passing skills be valued for big men above all other skills.

I’m actually with you on some of the stuff you say, then you say stuff like this….
DC is valued cause he’s good at basketball & there’s a local/personal factor that makes winning him much more enjoyable. Additionally, beating out UM & others is a huge validation of what the BY feels when they talk about being on the up now under DH. The excitement is definitely amplified by those factors, so it’s not 100% basketball related.
That being said, DC is no slouch at all, it’s not all hype either. Prior to reclassification, Sanogo and DC were ranked similarly. They both bring different dimensions to the game. The passing comment is a little out there though, reading and passing out of a double team is a next level skill that many young bigs are KILLED on when evaluated. DC is very skilled in this regard, and it’s a valuable yet unsexy skill to have.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

I don't think anyone said that. Rebounding is probably the most important skill in a big. Passing is still something that makes him more valuable on offense than if he didn't.

My apologies I misread the post I quoted. Go ahead and slap me with a foul there and take some FTs.

 

[Improviser]

Before my time but a DA is a type of haircut in the late 50's. It was called a Ducks A?? because of the way the hair was shaped in the back. I may be wrong about the second but I believe it is a Boogie Top aka a Flattop Boogie which is probably the most common young mans haircut of the 50's. Any of you "youngsters " out there care to weigh in?

Here you go:

Men's Vintage 1950s Haircuts - Ducktail Tutorial and More!

The vintage hairstyles and haircuts men wore in the 1950s were as varied as the women’s. Ducktail, flattop, pompadour, crew cut, the forward combed boogie and flattop boogie hairstyles, and…

www.vintagehairstyling.com

I remember my hair being like raised up, and it was called a pompadour.

50 Pompadour Hairstyle Variations + Comprehensive Guide

The pompadour hairstyle is a timeless cut. Here’s how to cut and style the pomp, along with some great variations backed with photos.

haircutinspiration.com

It was not before my time, but was at my time.

Oh, yeah the DA was shown in the song and video for,

Kookie, Kookie (Lend Me Your Comb)​

"Kookie, Kookie (Lend Me Your Comb)" is a song written by Irving Taylor and performed by Edward Byrnes and Connie Stevens. The single was produced by Karl Engemann and arranged by Don Ralke,[1] and was featured on Byrnes' 1959 album, Kookie Star of "77 Sunset Strip".[2

It was a real corny song but was a hit then.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

I’m actually with you on some of the stuff you say, then you say stuff like this….
DC is valued cause he’s good at basketball & there’s a local/personal factor that makes winning him much more enjoyable. Additionally, beating out UM & others is a huge validation of what the BY feels when they talk about being on the up now under DH. The excitement is definitely amplified by those factors, so it’s not 100% basketball related.
That being said, DC is no slouch at all, it’s not all hype either. Prior to reclassification, Sanogo and DC were ranked similarly. They both bring different dimensions to the game. The passing comment is a little out there though, reading and passing out of a double team is a next level skill that many young bigs are KILLED on when evaluated. DC is very skilled in this regard, and it’s a valuable yet unsexy skill to have.

Yeah I jumped the gun on what I thought husky was saying. I definitely agree that it's a big recruiting win especially from a perception standpoint to lock up highly ranked kids in our own backyard. That's very important.

But still I don't know. Like I don't agree with the rankings that DC should be rated the same as Sanogo and Dickenson coming out. That would be based on almost all potential. I mean Dickenson and him are the same size but he was wayyyy ahead of DC at the same age so the rankings confuse me there while playing against much better competition. So to me, he'd be overrated in that sense. I don't find passing to be a valuable skill when you can't score well to go along with it. Because at least to me anyways, it looks like he passes mostly because of his inability to score. To the point he doesn't even look to score a lot of times he just makes unnecessary passes to pass.

This is not to say DC won't ever have an impact or anything because at the end of the day he's 7'1. Like I said before Andre his freshman year of high school before his body developed was hot trash and still the #1 player in the country. Then had a complete body transformation and turned into a beast to justify that rating. That's what DC is going to need first and foremost. Right now he is fresh clay though. He doesn't have many great skills at all but has never actually received good coaching or been in an environment to grow how he should as a player. So it's really up to the coaching staff to mold him right. But he's far away from being an impact player like most of the guys we have pulled in during Hurley's time.

 

[Husky Alien]

Ok everyone, I think we all agree that DC is an important piece to our puzzle moving forward. Sure does he have work to do? Yes. Is he coming this year? No. Is he going to improve? Of course he is. Is he going up against Adama and Akok, Johnson in practice? Hell ya! Let's move on and get #5.

 

[navery12]

Yeah I jumped the gun on what I thought husky was saying. I definitely agree that it's a big recruiting win especially from a perception standpoint to lock up highly ranked kids in our own backyard. That's very important.

But still I don't know. Like I don't agree with the rankings that DC should be rated the same as Sanogo and Dickenson coming out. That would be based on almost all potential. I mean Dickenson and him are the same size but he was wayyyy ahead of DC at the same age so the rankings confuse me there while playing against much better competition. So to me, he'd be overrated in that sense. I don't find passing to be a valuable skill when you can't score well to go along with it. Because at least to me anyways, it looks like he passes mostly because of his inability to score. To the point he doesn't even look to score a lot of times he just makes unnecessary passes to pass.

This is not to say DC won't ever have an impact or anything because at the end of the day he's 7'1. Like I said before Andre his freshman year of high school before his body developed was hot trash and still the #1 player in the country. Then had a complete body transformation and turned into a beast to justify that rating. That's what DC is going to need first and foremost. Right now he is fresh clay though. He doesn't have many great skills at all but has never actually received good coaching or been in an environment to grow how he should as a player. So it's really up to the coaching staff to mold him right. But he's far away from being an impact player like most of the guys we have pulled in during Hurley's time.

You've really blown past any sort of reasonable middle ground here, to the point where you can't even say he's an OK player. Saying he doesn't have any great skills is flat out wrong. There's no doubt he has lots of room to improve, but there's so many comments in here that show you made up your mind on him without watching 1 second of him playing and nothing will change it. Just because you decided his passing is meaningless and he only does it because he can't score doesn't make those statements true.

 

[superjohn]

Yeah I jumped the gun on what I thought husky was saying. I definitely agree that it's a big recruiting win especially from a perception standpoint to lock up highly ranked kids in our own backyard. That's very important.

But still I don't know. Like I don't agree with the rankings that DC should be rated the same as Sanogo and Dickenson coming out. That would be based on almost all potential. I mean Dickenson and him are the same size but he was wayyyy ahead of DC at the same age so the rankings confuse me there while playing against much better competition. So to me, he'd be overrated in that sense. I don't find passing to be a valuable skill when you can't score well to go along with it. Because at least to me anyways, it looks like he passes mostly because of his inability to score. To the point he doesn't even look to score a lot of times he just makes unnecessary passes to pass.

This is not to say DC won't ever have an impact or anything because at the end of the day he's 7'1. Like I said before Andre his freshman year of high school before his body developed was hot trash and still the #1 player in the country. Then had a complete body transformation and turned into a beast to justify that rating. That's what DC is going to need first and foremost. Right now he is fresh clay though. He doesn't have many great skills at all but has never actually received good coaching or been in an environment to grow how he should as a player. So it's really up to the coaching staff to mold him right. But he's far away from being an impact player like most of the guys we have pulled in during Hurley's time.

Dickinson received better coaching and played against better competition up to this point so his low post game is further along, Clingan is also bigger than him. Clingan is half a foot taller than Sanogo. They're all different players at different stages in their development.

You simply don't know what you're watching if you don't think he has many great skills at all. For a prospect who only a few NBA players are bigger than who just turned 17 a few months ago he absolutely has some great skills.

 

[Watchdog]

You got to allow an 18 year old 7-1 kid a chance to develop. When I saw Donovan in person I saw some potential. It’s up to him to do the work and take a professional approach. Chief is confident that he will.

Especially when he isn't 18 yet.......and doesn't have the depth of UConn's coaching, nutrition and strength and conditioning staff in high school.

 

[jleves]

Yeah I jumped the gun on what I thought husky was saying. I definitely agree that it's a big recruiting win especially from a perception standpoint to lock up highly ranked kids in our own backyard. That's very important.

But still I don't know. Like I don't agree with the rankings that DC should be rated the same as Sanogo and Dickenson coming out. That would be based on almost all potential. I mean Dickenson and him are the same size but he was wayyyy ahead of DC at the same age so the rankings confuse me there while playing against much better competition. So to me, he'd be overrated in that sense. I don't find passing to be a valuable skill when you can't score well to go along with it. Because at least to me anyways, it looks like he passes mostly because of his inability to score. To the point he doesn't even look to score a lot of times he just makes unnecessary passes to pass.

This is not to say DC won't ever have an impact or anything because at the end of the day he's 7'1. Like I said before Andre his freshman year of high school before his body developed was hot trash and still the #1 player in the country. Then had a complete body transformation and turned into a beast to justify that rating. That's what DC is going to need first and foremost. Right now he is fresh clay though. He doesn't have many great skills at all but has never actually received good coaching or been in an environment to grow how he should as a player. So it's really up to the coaching staff to mold him right. But he's far away from being an impact player like most of the guys we have pulled in during Hurley's time.

Oh now that you've said the same thing for the 14th time or so, I get it and now I agree. Let's move on.

 

[3rdbass]

It’s interesting how no one on this board was singing Bouknight’s praises, when Hurley signed him. Yet, knowitall’s come out of the woodwork to throw water on the Clingan pickup.

I was high on Bouknight when he came in. Are we really comparing Bouknight who has NBA skills and top athletic talent to DC? I think most of us knew we got a real gem with Bouknight as his ranking was hurt by his injury in high school.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

You've really blown past any sort of reasonable middle ground here, to the point where you can't even say he's an OK player. Saying he doesn't have any great skills is flat out wrong. There's no doubt he has lots of room to improve, but there's so many comments in here that show you made up your mind on him without watching 1 second of him playing and nothing will change it. Just because you decided his passing is meaningless and he only does it because he can't score doesn't make those statements true.

I'm probably being harsh because of his ranking tbh because I'm comparing him to guys like Sanogo and Dickenson now when he should really be compared to guys like Amida and Javonte Brown.

I've watched him play though. The extended game highlights to me are subpar for the most part. I was disappointed in his showing again Mikey Williams AAU team where he was non-existent on the boards for a lot of the game and never looked to score much at all. Most of the meaningless passes thing came from that game. I can't take much of his HS tape seriously because I don't know how much of those moves he'd get off against guys close to his size and skill. I am very curious to see how he performs at the top 100 camp though. I would love to see him put on a good performance. But the difference of offensive skills and fluidity between him and guys like Adama and Hunter is wide imo. I don't think I even saw him pinning down one of the 6'3 guys in LL once in his film. I'm just not sure if there's something that you all watched like the video you posted that I admit, was a little more impressive then what's readily available on youtube, that showed more to his game.