Opinions are good to have, but you better be able to defend them. Although we haven’t played a top 25 team, DC looks like he belongs on the floor. I’ll update this thread later on but for right now, I was wrong. That’s it.
Donovan Clingan
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The truly impressive part isn’t really the box score stats. It’s the athleticism and the ability to play defense as a freshman.
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Lob to article <<
-> “The fans are going to support him and also have a high standard and demand for the heights that he takes his game to over the course of his career,” Hurley said. “None of us can get too high or too low, relative to fan reaction, in person or on social [media].” <-
-> Hurley was asked if such attention can be a burden.
“Probably deep down, when he gets back to his room at night, he may have some anxieties,” Hurley said. “I think we all do. The strongest have those vulnerabilities that you have to deal with. But you wouldn't know it, by the way he carries himself. He's so alive, the guy. <-
-> Clingan has a long way to go, mentally even more so than physically. When Hurley breaks down Clingan’s play and potential he gets very technical, citing needs to be better on ball screen defense, technique, post-up positioning, blocking out. Clingan said one thing coaches have continually harped on is the need for him to roll straight to the basket, with purpose, after setting a screen. There are sorts of little freshman glitches that need to be smoothed out.
“He's a humble kid,” Hurley said. “And he wants to be coached.” <-
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If he had played at this body weight and conditioning in high school, then he would have been a top 20 prospect. His athleticism is much better now than when he was in high school.
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Before the season I thought Clingan would be a 5-10 MPG player when Sanogo went into foul trouble only. Now I think he will be a core contributor off the bench.
Yeah he has some freshman mistakes - bad fouls while setting screens, gaps in positioning, missed dunks..but he looks a LOT more polished than a normal18 year old 7'2 center would look. Work ethic is clearly there, he must have dropped at least 25 pounds between the end of HS and beginning of college. So I'm confident he will clean up those issues throughout the season.
It's cupcake season right now so I'm sure that his production will get worse as the competition gets better. But he's an athletic 7'2 guy that can pass and works extremely hard. Nova still doesn't have anyone over 6'9. Outside of Kalbrenner, Creighton only has 1 and he's also a freshman. Outside of Nunge, Xavier doesn't have any. And those guys will be primarily guarding Sanogo.
There's barely anybody in the BE that can match him physically. So if he keeps working on the technical/fundamental stuff, he's primed for a GREAT career.
Yeah he has some freshman mistakes - bad fouls while setting screens, gaps in positioning, missed dunks..but he looks a LOT more polished than a normal18 year old 7'2 center would look. Work ethic is clearly there, he must have dropped at least 25 pounds between the end of HS and beginning of college. So I'm confident he will clean up those issues throughout the season.
It's cupcake season right now so I'm sure that his production will get worse as the competition gets better. But he's an athletic 7'2 guy that can pass and works extremely hard. Nova still doesn't have anyone over 6'9. Outside of Kalbrenner, Creighton only has 1 and he's also a freshman. Outside of Nunge, Xavier doesn't have any. And those guys will be primarily guarding Sanogo.
There's barely anybody in the BE that can match him physically. So if he keeps working on the technical/fundamental stuff, he's primed for a GREAT career.
Chin Diesel
I've always been crazy but it's kept me from going
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There will be a few games where the pace is a bit too much and he'll get in to foul trouble or an opponent going five out or something will limit his minutes.
Season long mpg is a mean average and those games will bring down his mpg average. With Clingan I'll say his median average is going to be around 12-14 mpg which is higher than I would have originally thought.
RedStickHusky
formerly SeoulHuskyFan
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One of those players whose presence is felt by everyone on the court. The numbers are impressive but his impact on the game is huge regardless.
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Missed dunks? Yes, it's cupcake season but he looks really good. I don't think many expected him to have better per 40 minute stats than Sanogo in the cupcake games.
dennismenace
ONE MORE CAST
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“He's a humble kid,” Hurley said. “And he wants to be coached.” <-
That will have long term blessings for DC and his future as well as UConn. Dan Hurley and the staff are outdoing themselves as they go from year to year in recruiting great kids.
That will have long term blessings for DC and his future as well as UConn. Dan Hurley and the staff are outdoing themselves as they go from year to year in recruiting great kids.
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Samoo
Providence-Newark-San Antonio
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He's been big for awhile, didn't just have a growth spurt. He's probably more attuned to his body than most +7 foot teenagers.
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I remember a missed putback and a missed alley oop from the same game. He has good hands and does look to dunk when he has the ball, but a couple of the "difficult" (ie - not off of rebounds or passes under the hoop) haven't gone down
It's hard to find things to be critical about, so I had to reach a bit
D
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I think the ability to throw him lobs in the paint is going to help floor spacing on drives so much. Bigs can’t cheat off him at all or they’ll pay in a way that we haven’t seen here in awhile. We saw it a couple of times on the pick and rolls against Buffalo.
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Clingan will be an important pierce to the team this year. He will create some serious matchup problems for the other team this season. He is much more coordinated than I originally thought. Like all freshmen, he will need time to develop but I can see him becoming really dominate in the near future.
If I were him, I would watch and study all the Yao Ming videos. If he can develop the shooting touch Yao Ming had, he can play in the league.
If I were him, I would watch and study all the Yao Ming videos. If he can develop the shooting touch Yao Ming had, he can play in the league.
Chin Diesel
I've always been crazy but it's kept me from going
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Not sure which game but there were two alley oops which would have been world class Sports Center Top Ten #1 if he caught them. 99% of D1 and NBA basketball players wouldn't have made them.
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He's lost at least 30lbs since the end of his HS season from earlier reports. Wouldn't be surprised if it's 40 lbs. He looks like a completely different player than I saw in HS and AAU.
I like that he can be that 10mpg player though. It means 1) we can hold Sanogo accountable for his tunnel-vision like we did the other day...that wasn't really an option last year most nights.
2) Donovan has a very specific role. He doesn't need to conserve his energy to try to play 25 MPG or anything. Just come in for 5 minutes or so a half and play at 100% balls to the wall. And if he ends up playing well, then he can bump his minutes up from there. His job is rebounding, defense, and not making mistakes moving the ball. Any scoring is just gravy. Plenty of time for him to get film work in. If he could average 5/4/2 with a block in Big East play, that would be a huge success.
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My maybe way too early or hot take on this kid is he is one of our top 5 players right now on this team. So you have to play your best 5 at some point for hopefully lots of minutes together. Adama and DC might be unstoppable together. I really like what I see so far.
PS. And it’s like when your around a St. Bernard for a while you kinda get used to it but every once and a while your brain says wow look how friggin big he is.
PS. And it’s like when your around a St. Bernard for a while you kinda get used to it but every once and a while your brain says wow look how friggin big he is.
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He is shooting 7-7 this season on dunks, and 12-15 overall at the rim. He's been very good
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He definitely missed 2 dunks in a game, I'm like 70% sure it was BU. They would have been pretty crazy dunks if they went in so maybe they just weren't counted as official FGA
But yes he's very good around the rim, super strong, and keeps the ball high which is super mature for a freshman. I feel like even if Sanogo leaves after this season, our frontcourt will still be one of the best in the conference. Before the season I thought Clingan would take until junior year to actually be a solid piece, but he is already one
Yes, I wonder what the over/under will be for Clingan making the #SC10 list this season. My guess is six with at least one #1.
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Bad passes are not counted as missed dunks and shouldn't be.
He was fouled on at least one of them, so it doesn't count as a field goal attempt. Can't remember if the other was a foul too or maybe it was classified as a turnover/bad pass.
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Yeah the same way Creighton had done this to us with Kalkbrenner. Trying to maintain pressure on the ball, you’re gonna leave the roll open a few times, and with a 7’2” guy with hands who can move quick, that’s easy buckets. It’s going to be a lot of fun to have this weapon ready to come off the bench
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If you're counting the missed alley-oop as one that doesn't count as a FG attempt since it was a bad pass
UConnSwag11
Storrs, CT The Mecca
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Foul trouble will be the only reason he doesn't see the floor
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What you're talking about is the two alley oop attempts in the BU game. Newton was called for a charge on the first alley oop pass and the defender was called for a foul on Clingan on the other one.
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