The Athletic 25 most intriguing players to watch

[Jorgensen]

Caleb Love, Donovan Clingan and the most intriguing men’s college basketball players

Indiana's Kel'El Ware, Villanova's Justin Moore and Duke's Mark Mitchell are among the other players with the most intrigue for 2023-24.

theathletic.com

2. Donovan Clingan, UConn​

Turns out being enormous and athletic is a pretty good combo in basketball! Or at least it’s worked out well for a Canadian guy at Purdue. Which potentially makes the 7-foot-2, 265-pound Clingan the next object of national fascination — particularly if the sophomore is somehow even more impactful as a two-way player for the defending national champions. On a per-40-minute basis last year, Clingan produced 21.1 points, 17.1 rebounds and 5.5 blocks. Zach Edey, aforementioned Canadian star and large human, was at 28.1, 16.3 and 2.7. The difference is doing it over extended stretches, not just in the 13.1 minutes Clingan averaged as a freshman. But, again, we’ve learned this is possible. When you’re skilled and also bigger than everyone else, you tend to keep scoring and rebounding for as long as you’re on the floor. The on-the-floor part is now a massive variable, with Clingan out for a month with a foot strain — when the history of big men with foot issues is not great. It’s fine for now. The Huskies have other options. But they’re not overly deep. If Clingan stays healthy and, say, doubles his minutes while maintaining his production? That may be a problem few teams have an answer for.

Other BE friends:
#4 Justin Moore/Nova
#11 Trey Alexander/Creighton
#22 David Joplin/Marquette
#24 Jordan Dingle/St Johns

 

[husky429]

Clingan has earned every bit of the high expectations for him this year. It's going to be an exciting season seeing all these underclassmen thrive.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

Wouldn’t necessarily call Edey athletic

 

[HuskyHawk]

Wouldn’t necessarily call Edey athletic

I wouldn't call either of them athletic. Donovan has good short space movement though and doesn't really need to jump. He's not exactly Wilt or anything. Good to see him high on the radar of players to watch, he should be.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

I wouldn't call either of them athletic. Donovan has good short space movement though and doesn't really need to jump. He's not exactly Wilt or anything. Good to see him high on the radar of players to watch, he should be.

Donovan runs the court better and looks to have quicker movements and better springs, but yeah, not specifically athletic.

 

[The Yakk]

I wouldn't call either of them athletic. Donovan has good short space movement though and doesn't really need to jump. He's not exactly Wilt or anything. Good to see him high on the radar of players to watch, he should be.

Donovan can run. See highlights of him beating the entire Arkansas team up the floor, more than once.

Edey may have that kind of speed too, but we haven't seen it yet in Purdue's plodding offense.

 

[Mr. French]

You guys wouldn't call him athletic? That's a bit opposing to most opinions on the planet.

For 7'2 260 and 18-20 years old, he's incredibly athletic. Remember all those discussions of him running the floor? What exactly do you think makes him a lottery prospect?

 

[TheHorde]

I wouldn't call either of them athletic. Donovan has good short space movement though and doesn't really need to jump. He's not exactly Wilt or anything. Good to see him high on the radar of players to watch, he should be.

DC runs the court like a deer.

 

[JustbrewitMan]

Caleb Love, Donovan Clingan and the most intriguing men’s college basketball players

Indiana's Kel'El Ware, Villanova's Justin Moore and Duke's Mark Mitchell are among the other players with the most intrigue for 2023-24.

theathletic.com

2. Donovan Clingan, UConn​

Turns out being enormous and athletic is a pretty good combo in basketball! Or at least it’s worked out well for a Canadian guy at Purdue. Which potentially makes the 7-foot-2, 265-pound Clingan the next object of national fascination — particularly if the sophomore is somehow even more impactful as a two-way player for the defending national champions. On a per-40-minute basis last year, Clingan produced 21.1 points, 17.1 rebounds and 5.5 blocks. Zach Edey, aforementioned Canadian star and large human, was at 28.1, 16.3 and 2.7. The difference is doing it over extended stretches, not just in the 13.1 minutes Clingan averaged as a freshman. But, again, we’ve learned this is possible. When you’re skilled and also bigger than everyone else, you tend to keep scoring and rebounding for as long as you’re on the floor. The on-the-floor part is now a massive variable, with Clingan out for a month with a foot strain — when the history of big men with foot issues is not great. It’s fine for now. The Huskies have other options. But they’re not overly deep. If Clingan stays healthy and, say, doubles his minutes while maintaining his production? That may be a problem few teams have an answer for.

Other BE friends:
#4 Justin Moore/Nova
#11 Trey Alexander/Creighton
#22 David Joplin/Marquette
#24 Jordan Dingle/St Johns

I know it's quibbling and nitpicky parsing, but the statement about us "they're not overly deep" is preposterous!

 

[superjohn]

You guys wouldn't call him athletic? That's a bit opposing to most opinions on the planet.

For 7'2 260 and 18-20 years old, he's incredibly athletic. Remember all those discussions of him running the floor? What exactly do you think makes him a lottery prospect?

He's really fast one end to the other and his reaction time on defense is outstanding. Does he move like the unicorns Wenbanyama and Chet on offense? Of course not. He also weighs about 80 lbs more than them.

 

[Waquoit]

I know it's quibbling and nitpicky parsing, but the statement about us "they're not overly deep" is preposterous!

Ehh, TBF much of our depth is unproven freshmen.

 

[Mr. French]

He's really fast one end to the other and his reaction time on defense is outstanding. Does he move like the unicorns Wenbanyama and Chet on offense? Of course not. He also weighs about 80 lbs more than them.

Everything is relative. Of course he's considered "enormous and athletic" as a combination. That's what the writer said, and it's pretty funny people are actually commenting on that as though, for his situation, anyone wouldn't consider that "athletic."

It's one of these least controversial things ever, he said it as an opening line to make a point about how obvious it is. "Turns out being huge AND athletic is a good combo."

 

[husky429]

You guys wouldn't call him athletic? That's a bit opposing to most opinions on the planet.

For 7'2 260 and 18-20 years old, he's incredibly athletic. Remember all those discussions of him running the floor? What exactly do you think makes him a lottery prospect?

People are weird...It's all relative. He's a very athletic guy considering he's literally monstar sized. No, he doesn't have a vertical like Andre, but it's probably not even physically possible at his size.

 

[Scrutineer]

Wouldn’t necessarily call Edey athletic

But he is Canadian......and he is large......and may be human.

 

[Husky68]

He may not be as athletic as Wilt but looks agile/quick as a young Bill Walton which ain't too shabby.

 

[uconnfan68]

I know it's quibbling and nitpicky parsing, but the statement about us "they're not overly deep" is preposterous!

Love that we’re underrated.

 

[uconnfan68]

He may not be as athletic as Wilt but looks agile/quick as a young Bill Walton which ain't too shabby.

By the 68, I assume you watched Bill Walton play when he was young. DC is not Bill. Yet.

 

[SoCalCanine]

DC runs the court like a deer.

I would say he runs the floor more like a moose, but if you've seen a moose run they're pretty FAST!