SUMMARY
- Donovan Clingan just competed his sophomore year at UConn winning back-to-back NCAA titles.
- Clingan was a dominant scorer at Bristol Central High School averaging between 27 and 30 points per game.
All eyes were on UConn as they held a dominant performance over Purdue in the 2024 NCAA Championship game. Obviously, it was unfortunate to see Zach Edey walk away without a college championship victory but one player has had an incredibly dominant run since joining UConn in 2022. Donovan Clingan was the player who was the most overlooked this season. His defensive efforts were what led the Huskies to the title in both years.
During the game, Clingan gave Edey a run for his money even though he didn’t score as much as the Naismith Player of the Year. But he has been UConn’s secret weapon all season long. He averaged 13 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game while recording 2.5 blocks as well. UConn is lucky they have him for the next two seasons at least.
Donovan Clingan had a dominant high school run
Before becoming UConn’s most trusted defensive specialist, Donovan Clingan made his mark at the high school level. The 20-year-old grew up in Bristol, Connecticut. Clingan became a prominent AAU athlete before he continued a journey in basketball at Bristol Central High School. He was a dominant scorer of the ball averaging as much as 27.3 points, 17.2 rebounds, and 5.8 blocks per game during his junior year.
During his senior season, the stats got even wilder as he averaged 30.3 points, 18.4 rebounds, and 6.2 blocks per game. Donovan Clingan was named Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year after both those seasons. Eventually, his dominant high school presence earned him over from famed institutions like Georgetown, Michigan, Michigan State, and Rutgers. Providence and Ohio State also approached him with offers. However, he chose to commit to UConn.
Donovan Clingan’s mother Stacey Clingan was also a successful college athlete
After winning his second consecutive NCAA Championship, Donovan Clingan remembered his mother while speaking to CNN. He said, “[She would have liked] how hard I’ve worked and where I started. I played for a public high school. I played on a very small AAU team. You know, I worked hard and I try to make it to a very high level. You know, I was able to make history. Obviously, she’s smiling down on me. She’s happy for me. I wish she could be part of it but, I know she’s proud of me.”
Donovan Clingan wears #32 in honor of his mom, who passed in 2018.
She was a dominant center at Bristol Central in Connecticut—just like Donovan—then led Maine to three NCAA Tournaments.
He’s now played in two NCAA Tournaments—and won back-to-back national titles with UConn. pic.twitter.com/9r957HnSgA
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) April 9, 2024
Stacey Clingan was also an incredibly successful college athlete who made three NCAA Tournament appearances. Before joining the University of Maine, Stacey competed in swimming, basketball, and various/field activities at Bristol Central. She played for Maine’s basketball team while being named second-team All-East Conference. Stacey was also inducted into Maine’s Hall of Fame in 2023.