Donovan Clingan is the 7-foot-3 face of UConn basketball

[HooperScooper]

If you have about an hour and want to know anything and everything about Donovan Clingan, then read this Mike Anthony article. Longest UConn article I've ever seen.

“Am I going to perform the way I want to this year? Am I going to live up to the expectations?” Clingan says. “In the back of my head, it’s just [that] I’m going to go out there and prove them all wrong and do more. I get nervous at times but I just try to flip my mentality, like, ‘I’m going to dominate. This is my year.’ My future, it’s not really something to be nervous about. I’ve just got to put the work in. It’s all up to me to determine where I go and what I do next.”

The new face of UConn basketball is a 7-foot-3 phenom from CT

The Bristol, Connecticut, native has been labeled a lottery pick in the 2024 NBA draft for his size, athleticism and the promise he showed in his freshman year.

www.nhregister.com

Alternate access:

Donovan Clingan is the 7-foot-3 face of UConn basketball. He’s still a small town CT kid at heart.​

 

[bigborgesfan]

This was an incredibly well-done piece. Mike Anthony is the best sports writer in the state by far.

 

[Waquoit]

He's completely comfortable with his height and the attention it brings, that's not a given for all very tall people. I think that's a big reason he's such a good dude.

 

[joelerg87]

This was an incredibly well-done piece. Mike Anthony is the best sports writer in the state by far.

Better than borges?

 

[drayenob]

This was an incredibly well-done piece. Mike Anthony is the best sports writer in the state by far.

Post/Handle

 

[superjohn]

Everyone is calling him 7'3 now, I wonder why they still list him at 7'2 for the roster.

I love this kid, he's special. I love that Dauster said he screamed his butt off during practice and yelled a curse word response at him about how he should be out on the court.

With his size, skills and attitude the sky is the limit.

 

[krinklecut]

Better than borges?

Borges is awful

 

[Waywardson]

I'm just a casual Boneyard visitor, but this article broke me up. It's award-worthy stuff. My heart breaks for Donovan, and the whole family. I'm sure his future will be wonderful, but that's an awful amount of pain to go through. I hope he feels the pride we all have in him.

Totally unrelated, but... huh what?

"He came to UConn at 7-2. A recent measurement, without shoes, revealed he is 7-3. He will continue to be listed as 7-2 for the 2023-24 season."

 

[CL82]

Wow. That was a really good read. You might want to pack a lunch. It's very long.

 

[Pingolino]

this was a great read. got me all teary–eyed in my cubicle. Love being able to root for Donovan

 

[Chasm64]

Tremendous, makes you wish for the very best for Donovan. Makes me wish he stays at UConn past the coming season.

 

[krinklecut]

Tremendous, makes you wish for the very best for Donovan. Makes me wish he stays at UConn past the coming season.

One of those guys you know is gonna be around the program for life

 

[DogMania]

Tremendous, makes you wish for the very best for Donovan. Makes me wish he stays at UConn past the coming season.

If he does stick around for another 3 years, at this rate he'll be 7'5" by the time he's done.

 

[Huskyhoops25]

That was an incredibly well written piece. The all encompassing breadth of all facets of his young life were well researched and laid out in a smooth narrative. Well done Mike Anthony. You did the Clingans proud. A poignant story of a great young man and family.

 

[Hunt for 7]

I'm just a casual Boneyard visitor, but this article broke me up. It's award-worthy stuff. My heart breaks for Donovan, and the whole family. I'm sure his future will be wonderful, but that's an awful amount of pain to go through. I hope he feels the pride we all have in him.

Totally unrelated, but... huh what?

"He came to UConn at 7-2. A recent measurement, without shoes, revealed he is 7-3. He will continue to be listed as 7-2 for the 2023-24 season."

Catching what he said to the family dog as his mom was being taken from the house is the detail stories like this need. I always liked Anthony when he covered UConn for the courant. Seemed liked there was more to the story about why he took a smaller job. But for me Amore was way more approachable. When I could not find information in simple things like how to watch a game that did not appear on the regular channels I would email him and he always responded. Back in the day before everything was communicated on social media. Whenever I sent him a email I usually got a response. Not sure if anyone remembers when fans could post articles or thoughts on what was then an early version of a e forum at the courant. But twice I got it right enough for it to be used as an editorial and made the print copy. I remember one piece was on Coach Calhoun. We are talking late 90’s so my memory is not perfect but one of the articles was about how JC used the us against the world strategy with his players to inspire them and create the chip on our shoulder we always played with. This kid/man fits right in with our history. My wife played BB for Bristol Eastern the poorer school in Bristol, but she was good, made all conference and honorable mention all state her senior year. So we have ties to Bristol and my mother in law was talking about Clingan really early in his sophomore year his legend was starting to grow in Bristol. By then I had taken her daughter first to Chicago and then Florida. Bristol is a very proud town. They deserve a real hometown hero after dealing with the A Hernandez situation the town got a bad rap. Good to see a positive story for the city.

 

[Vancat]

Wow.

 

[August_West]

“Am I going to perform the way I want to this year? Am I going to live up to the expectations?” Clingan says. “In the back of my head, it’s just [that] I’m going to go out there and prove them all wrong and do more. I get nervous at times but I just try to flip my mentality, like, ‘I’m going to dominate. This is my year.’ My future, it’s not really something to be nervous about. I’ve just got to put the work in. It’s all up to me to determine where I go and what I do next.”

"The fundamental question is, will I be as effective as a boss like my dad was? And I will be, even more so? But until I am, it's going to be hard to verify that I think I'll be more effective."

 

[OkaForPrez]

Catching what he said to the family dog as his mom was being taken from the house is the detail stories like this need.

That's about where I fell apart.

 

[AntG168]

That's about where I fell apart.

Yea. Reminded me of what I went through with my dad. To be so young he’s a strong kid

 

[BGesus4]

I'm just a casual Boneyard visitor, but this article broke me up. It's award-worthy stuff. My heart breaks for Donovan, and the whole family. I'm sure his future will be wonderful, but that's an awful amount of pain to go through. I hope he feels the pride we all have in him.

Totally unrelated, but... huh what?

"He came to UConn at 7-2. A recent measurement, without shoes, revealed he is 7-3. He will continue to be listed as 7-2 for the 2023-24 season."

Crazy to think he’s as tall as thabeet

 

[superjohn]

Crazy to think he’s as tall as thabeet

If he's really 7'3 barefoot he's taller than Thabeet.

 

[auror]

Crazy to think he’s as tall as thabeet

If he's really 7'3 barefoot he's taller than Thabeet.

By almost 2 inches. Thabeet measured 7'1.25" at the combine without shoes.

They could list Donovan legitimately at 7'4" since the college listings are usually with shoes.

 

[superjohn]

By almost 2 inches.

They could list him legitimately at 7'4" since the college listings are usually with shoes.

It's all of a sudden the rebirth of the 7 foot center but if he's really 7'3 barefoot that puts him into the freaky group that only Wenbanyama and Edey occupy. He's enormous but is he really as tall as those two? I would love to see his height actually measured or him standing next to those two.

 

[auror]

It's all of a sudden the rebirth of the 7 foot center but if he's really 7'3 barefoot that puts him into the freaky group that only Wenbanyama and Edey occupy. He's enormous but is he really as tall as those two? I would love to see his height actually measured or him standing next to those two.

I think Edey measured 7'3.25" at the combine last season, so he's just a little shorter (but not much). Edey has a couple inches longer standing reach based on what was floating around for Clingan from before last season (though his arms could have grown, too...). Clingan is a much better run/jump athlete though.

 

[Sky ball]

Gotta Love Hurley:

“The first day coaches were allowed to directly contact us, I knew I would be up at midnight,” Clingan says. “The second 12 hit, my phone went off. Coach Hurley. He goes, ‘I just want to be the first to call. We love you as a player. We love you as a person. I’m going to bed. Good night.’ It was like 18 seconds. I was like, ‘Wow, he cares.’”