Sanogo and Clingan

[WhereistheDove?]

It appears Clingan is going to get many more minutes this year than any of us expected (and probably more than he expected too).

I think a lot of that is because he worked his a off and got in great shape before getting to campus. Hard to overstate how important that was because he looks way quicker than he did in HS.

His passing out of double teams has also been impressive in his limited time and we’ve got enough outside shooting that it could be a pretty lethal lineup even when Sanogo goes to the bench.

 

[Sibeerian]

There was a lot of talk about how Donavan's game was held back by competing against weak players, but not much about how his game would be helped by playing with great players.

 

[Ricker]

Not that it matters, but how was Clingan only a 4 star recruit? Because he didn’t sell his soul to or go to IMG Academy and commit to Duke?
Like I said it doesn’t matter, but I love his story.

Clingan's rating is on a par with similar players like Hunter Dickenson. Rankings aern't just projecting them into college. Part of the ratings system is projecting them into the NBA game where their skills and size seem to be less valued now. At Hoophall Dickenson destroyed the USC kid who was #1 in the class outscoring him like 30pts to 10pts, outrebounding, blocking, shooting 3's, and winning the game in front of all national recruiting guru's. It didn't move the needle for him rankingwise. Donovan is a very similar player who got a bit less ranking because he only occasionally could be evaluated against other top bigs at camps etc. Clingan and Karaban are extra perfect for us because both are great college players that likely aren't early NBA candidates athletically.

 

[Kenny11]

Our best passer AJAX didn’t even play. Clingan is getting looks from him for sure. Clingan has shot blocking too. Only played 12 minutes last night.

Clingan is going to be available for a lot of lobs if he keeps rolling to the hoop strong. Jackson will definitely find him

 

[Kenny11]

There was a lot of talk about how Donavan's game was held back by competing against weak players, but not much about how his game would be helped by playing with great players.

He was constantly hounded and fouled and triple teamed by a bunch of smaller guys attached to him at all times in high school. Lower competition, yes, but 100 times more annoying and pressure-filled than playing against some 6’9” kid at a prep school.

 

[Kitaman]

Clingan is already passing better than Sanogo from the paint. When AJ returns both will become better by virtue of AJ's passing. Add in Hawk/AK and our guards to space the floor then we should be in contention for the BE crown.

The players have yet to feel AJ and Hawk's presence on the floor with them. Also AJ will fix any issues with not having strong facilitator guards. He'll be like a kid in a candy shop with so many weapons and options. If AJ attacks the rim more this season then he will be very hard to guard.

With so many new players it may take until mid January to really see how good this team is. I still expect a bumpy ride until then, especially the beginning of BE play.

 

[dennismenace]

How are teams going to deal with Sanogo and Clingan this year? You have to try and stop one of the best players in the country (and yes he looks different now) who has a bunch of moves/pump fakes and can now keep u honest with the occasional shot from three and then you bring in the 7'2 guy.

I watched pretty much all of Clingan's games last year and saw all the talent but wasn't expecting him to look like this right away. Again, there will be ups and downs because he's a freshman but I can't get over how he moves now compared to in the past. We have a young monster on our hands.

I never really bought into them playing together because it's so rare to see two centers playing at the same time these days but Clingan is simply too good (and too good a passer) to just spell Sanogo when he needs a rest.

Well said. I watched part of the Creighton game last night and saw Nunge playing at the same time with Freemantle. Freemantle looks like he's fully recovered.

 

[dennismenace]

Clingan is already passing better than Sanogo from the paint. When AJ returns both will become better by virtue of AJ's passing. Add in Hawk/AK and our guards to space the floor then we should be in contention for the BE crown.

The players have yet to feel AJ and Hawk's presence on the floor with them. Also AJ will fix any issues with not having strong facilitator guards. He'll be like a kid in a candy shop with so many weapons and options. If AJ attacks the rim more this season then he will be very hard to guard.

With so many new players it may take until mid January to really see how good this team is. I still expect a bumpy ride until then, especially the beginning of BE play.

I could not believe how how fast Newton and Alleyne could race out to the top of the key grab a bullet pass and seemingly put it up all in one motion. That was awesome. Getting an inside/outside game going is going to be havoc for opponents. Also loved the uptempo pressure of those guards in getting out and running.

 

[HuskyHawk]

i am amazed at how clingan is moving on the court. feel like we have only seen the tip of the ice berg in terms of his skill, too.

I think his weight loss and fitness have been critical along with Hurley not asking him to do what he cannot do on defense. I expected his offense to be really strong, was always a question of fitting into Hurley‘s defense. Even with the adjustment to let him mostly guard the paint, he needed to get quicker and props to him for putting in the work and doing it.

As I said in the NBA draft threads, Sanogo is a first round pick. I had no doubt he would learn to knock down 3s and improve his ability to attack off the dribble. He is just a relentless worker and improves at an astonishing rate. Does he look like an NBA 4/5 to anybody else yet?

 

[husky429]

Does he look like an NBA 4/5 to anybody else yet?

Honestly, no. He certainly doesn't look like a 4 yet. He's a generous 6'9 so that 3-point shot is going to need to be really, really good if he wants to be someone with a long NBA career.

 

[ClifSpliffy]

It appears Clingan is going to get many more minutes this year than any of us expected (and probably more than he expected too).

than any of us expected

yeah, umm no.
some of us, all summer long, demanded that donno and alex play immediately, and often.
demanded, as in under threat of legal prosecution.

i couldn't believe when danny started sj. lucky for danny, the fates intervened. silver linings in a dark cloud, an all that.
i'll give u a pass tho, as u may have me on ignore. listen or ignore, it don't matter, no way, no how. the truth be the truth, and it will out.
donno and alex be the truth!

 

[elmcityboy]

I think his weight loss and fitness have been critical along with Hurley not asking him to do what he cannot do on defense. I expected his offense to be really strong, was always a question of fitting into Hurley‘s defense. Even with the adjustment to let him mostly guard the paint, he needed to get quicker and props to him for putting in the work and doing it.

As I said in the NBA draft threads, Sanogo is a first round pick. I had no doubt he would learn to knock down 3s and improve his ability to attack off the dribble. He is just a relentless worker and improves at an astonishing rate. Does he look like an NBA 4/5 to anybody else yet?

good points!

re: sanogo, i like him as a xavier tillman type in the league -- high second-rounder going to a competent squad. think he could potentially come off the bench to pair with a perimeter big man (ala jaren jackson jr) especially if he shows some switchability on d.

 

[RichCTBB]

I could not believe how how fast Newton and Alleyne could race out to the top of the key grab a bullet pass and seemingly put it up all in one motion. That was awesome. Getting an inside/outside game going is going to be havoc for opponents. Also loved the uptempo pressure of those guards in getting out and running.

Agreed. We haven’t been able to get up and down that fast in quite some time. I think we can approach what Calhoun used to call “playing a a frenetic pace” with our guard depth.

 

[Marat]

I love that Clingan blocks the shots and keeps the ball in play. It will allow our guards to fast break more.

 

[dennismenace]

I think his weight loss and fitness have been critical along with Hurley not asking him to do what he cannot do on defense. I expected his offense to be really strong, was always a question of fitting into Hurley‘s defense. Even with the adjustment to let him mostly guard the paint, he needed to get quicker and props to him for putting in the work and doing it.

As I said in the NBA draft threads, Sanogo is a first round pick. I had no doubt he would learn to knock down 3s and improve his ability to attack off the dribble. He is just a relentless worker and improves at an astonishing rate. Does he look like an NBA 4/5 to anybody else yet?

He is a consummate leader by example. And how right you are about his constant improvement. His motivation is something to behold. Now he is surrounded by a supporting cast. We are really deep.
It is hard to imagine this juggernaut when the injured return.

 

[auror]

Huh?

In 2021, Purdue recruited an unheralded 7'4" big who was on IMG Academy's B team his junior HS year named Zach Edey. In his freshman year, he played with Trevion Williams, a skilled 6'9 265 lbs junior center, who was a pre-season 1st team All-B1G player.

They almost never shared the court together, but they both had monster years. KenPom's KPOY had Williams as the 10th best player in basketball that season, and in backup minutes Edey was incredibly efficient and incredibly impactful as a rebounder and rim protector despite being a 3* freshman.

Their dimensions, stats, and roles line up pretty uncannily so far between Williams/Sanogo and Edey/Clingan.

 

[bigknight3]

Clingan this year so far has played better help defense than Sanogo has this will be interesting to watch as the year goes on…

And Sanogo had played better on ball defense. He's stonewalled players that have gone right at him.

 

[Rocktheworld]

Still waiting on Sanogo to consistently make the right pass. Had an obvious dump-off to a cutting Karaban on the first possession; made a pretty tough shot instead. At the next level when everyone is as big and strong and possibly more athletic than him, he’s not going to get away with what will then be such low efficiency shots. I get that he knows he’s the best player on our team and will typically be the best big on the floor at any given time this year; but to make himself truly ready for the NBA, he has to be a more cerebral part of the offense. Sometimes makes me wonder to what degree he understands/appreciates the larger concepts of offense.

Really rooting for him but I hope we start to see more good passing.

 

[jibsey]

Sanogo had touch from day one you could see it, but it just wasn’t in coaches game plan to have him shooting 3’s. If he’s alone out there then yes, but drawing his big defender out with him has benefits too.