UConn's 7-foot-2 sophomore Donovan Clingan, one of the cornerstones of the Huskies' back-to-back NCAA championship teams, will enter the 2024 NBA draft.
Clingan, the No. 3 prospect on ESPN's Top 100 list, is expected to be in the running to become the No. 1 pick in June's draft after a dominant late-season and NCAA tournament career.
Clingan leaves UConn for the NBA after a storied high school and college career. Before joining coach Dan Hurley at UConn, Clingan became one of Connecticut's all-time scholastic legends for Bristol Central High School under coach Tim Barrette.
Clingan said in a social media post that his two years at UConn “exceeded all of my dreams and expectations.”
đŸ’™ #32 Out pic.twitter.com/tpD1stCWe5
-Donovan Clingan (@clingan_donovan) April 12, 2024
After overcoming some early season struggles, Clingan, 20, played his best basketball in March and April. He used his 7-foot-7 wingspan and tremendous timing to become a prolific shot blocker, averaging 2.5 to rank eighth in the nation.
Clingan also played an immense role for the nation's No. 1 offense. The Huskies ran many of their half-court sets through Clingan in the low, mid and high posts. He set screens, facilitated dribble handoffs, finished well with both hands and showed polished footwork at the rim.
Clingan averaged 15.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.2 blocks in the Huskies' 2024 tournament, all above his season averages. He had a career-high eight blocks in a second-round win over Northwestern. His 19 total blocks in the NCAA tournament were the most since the 2016 tournament.
Clingan was one of two players with 400 points, 80 blocks and 50 assists in Division I this season, along with back-to-back John R. Wooden Award winner Purdue's Zach Edey, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
The NBA draft will take place June 26-27 in New York City.
ESPN NBA Draft analyst Jonathan Givony contributed to this report.
