Donovan Clingan
{{Short description|American basketball player (born 2004)}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Donovan Clingan
| image = Donovan Clingan White House (cropped).jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Clingan in 2023
| position = Center
| height_ft = 7
| height_in = 2
| weight_lb = 282
| league = NBA
| team = Portland Trail Blazers
| number = 23
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2004|2|23}}
| birth_place = Bristol, Connecticut, U.S.
| high_school = Bristol Central
(Bristol, Connecticut)
| college = UConn (2022–2024)
| draft_year = 2024
| draft_round = 1
| draft_pick = 7
| draft_team = Portland Trail Blazers
| career_start = 2024
| career_end =
| years1 = {{nbay|2024|start}}–present
| team1 = Portland Trail Blazers
| highlights = * 2× NCAA champion (2023, 2024)
- AP Honorable Mention All-American (2024)
- Big East All-Freshman team (2023)
}}
Donovan John Clingan (born February 23, 2004) is an American professional basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the UConn Huskies, winning two consecutive national championships from 2023 to 2024.
Early life and high school career
Clingan grew up in Bristol, Connecticut, and attended Bristol Central High School, where he led the boys basketball team to a 2022 Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference Division II state championship.{{cite web |last=Gibson |first=Charlotte |date=May 8, 2020 |title=Donovan Clingan contends with basketball future, his late mother's memory |url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/28723706 |access-date=March 22, 2023 |website=ESPN.com}}{{Cite news |last=Anthony |first=Mike |title=Donovan Clingan is the 7-foot-3 face of UConn basketball. He's still a small town CT kid at heart. |url=https://www.ctinsider.com/sports/uconn-mens-basketball/article/donovan-clingan-uconn-men-s-basketball-18424508.php |access-date=May 17, 2024 |work=CT Insider |language=en}} Clingan averaged 27.3 points, 17.2 rebounds and 5.8 blocks per game as a junior and was named the Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year.{{cite web |last=Morelli |first=Joe |date=June 4, 2021 |title=Bristol Central's Donovan Clingan Gatorade State Player of Year, 1 of 3 finalists for national award |url=https://www.ctpost.com/sports/article/Bristol-Central-s-Donovan-Clingan-Gatorade-16224029.php |access-date=March 22, 2023 |work=Connecticut Post}} Clingan repeated as the Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year after averaging 30.3 points, 18.4 rebounds and 6.2 blocks per game during his senior season.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/21/sports/ncaabasketball/march-madness-uconn-clingan.html|title=UConn's Freshman Center Stands Out Off the Bench|first=Adam|last=Zagoria|work=The New York Times|date=March 22, 2023|access-date=March 22, 2023}} On July 2, 2021, he committed to playing college basketball for UConn over offers from Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Georgetown, Syracuse, Providence and Rutgers.{{cite web |date=July 2, 2021 |title=Bristol Central center Donovan Clingan commits to UConn |url=https://www.theday.com/uconn-mens-basketball/20210702/bristol-central-center-donovan-clingan-commits-to-uconn/ |url-status=dead |access-date=March 22, 2023 |work=The Day}}
Clingan grew up with and is close friends with current UConn Huskies football running back Victor Rosa. Rosa was Clingan's point guard in high school, and was a record-breaking football player as well.{{cite web |last=Anthony |first=Mike |date=October 25, 2023 |title=The new face of UConn basketball is a 7-foot-3 phenom from CT |url=https://www.ctinsider.com/connecticutmagazine/news-people/article/donovan-clingan-uconn-men-s-basketball-18424508.php |access-date=January 6, 2025 |website=ctinsider.com}}
College career
Clingan entered his freshman season at UConn as the Huskies' backup center behind Adama Sanogo.{{cite web|url=https://www.journalinquirer.com/sports/college/uconn_mens_basketball/uconn-notebook-clingan-makes-big-first-impression/article_db3d6470-5f46-11ed-8c74-9f305d4c3166.html|title=UConn Notebook: Clingan makes big first impression|first=Adam|last=Betz|work=Journal Inquirer|date=November 8, 2022|access-date=March 22, 2023}} He was named to the Big East Conference All-Freshman team at the end of the regular season.{{cite web|url=https://www.courant.com/2023/03/05/uconns-adama-sanogo-jordan-hawkins-named-first-team-all-big-east-karaban-clingan-on-all-freshman-team|title=UConn's Adama Sanogo, Jordan Hawkins named First Team All-Big East; Karaban, Clingan on All-Freshman team|first=Joe|last=Arruda|work=Hartford Courant|date=March 5, 2023|access-date=March 22, 2023}} Clingan scored four points with three rebounds, a block and two steals in the 2023 national championship game as the Huskies won 76–59.{{cite web |last=Borges |first=David |date=April 4, 2023 |title=Donovan Clingan makes good on promise, helps UConn men's basketball team 'get No. 5' |url=https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/sports/uconn-mens-basketball/article/donovan-clingan-national-championship-dan-hurley-17877175.php |access-date=April 4, 2023 |work=Stamford Advocate}} Although he was considered to be a likely selection in the 2023 NBA draft, he decided to return to UConn for his sophomore season.{{cite web |last=Borzello |first=Jeff |date=April 8, 2023 |title=UConn center Donovan Clingan to return for sophomore season |url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/36121847 |access-date=April 10, 2023 |website=ESPN.com}}
Clingan entered his sophomore year as UConn's starting center.{{cite web|url=https://www.ctinsider.com/sports/uconn-mens-basketball/article/donovan-clingan-huskies-start-18472906.php|title=Donovan Clingan reflects on first start for UConn men's basketball team: 'Dream come true'|first=David|last=Borges|website=CT Insider|date=November 7, 2023|access-date=November 13, 2023}}{{cite web |last=Arruda |first=Joe |date=November 4, 2023 |title=UConn men's preview: Donovan Clingan, the Huskies' ultimate big man, out to prove he's ready for the big time |url=https://www.courant.com/2023/11/04/uconn-mens-preview-donovan-clingan-the-huskies-ultimate-big-man-out-to-prove-hes-ready-for-the-big-time/ |access-date=November 13, 2023 |work=Hartford Courant}} He suffered a foot injury in a game against Seton Hall on December 20, 2023.{{cite web |last=Borzello |first=Jeff |date=December 23, 2023 |title=UConn center Donovan Clingan out 3-4 weeks with foot injury |url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/39173855 |access-date=April 10, 2024 |website=ESPN.com}} Clingan returned on January 17, 2024, scoring six points and grabbing five rebounds in 16 minutes of play in a 62–48 win over 18th-ranked Creighton.{{cite web |date=January 17, 2024 |others=Contributed by The Associated Press |title=Clingan returns from injury to help No. 1 UConn stop Creighton |url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/39332658 |access-date=April 10, 2024 |website=ESPN.com}}
On April 12, 2024, Clingan declared for the 2024 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.{{cite web |last=Wojnarowski |first=Adrian |author-link=Adrian Wojnarowski |date=April 12, 2024 |title=UConn center Donovan Clingan entering NBA draft |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/39929419 |access-date=April 12, 2024 |website=ESPN.com}}
Professional career
=Portland Trail Blazers (2024–present)=
On June 26, 2024, Clingan was selected with the seventh overall pick by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2024 NBA Draft.{{cite web|first=Aaron|last=Fentress|title=Trail Blazers select center Donovan Clingan with the No. 7 pick in the NBA draft|url=https://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/2024/06/trail-blazers-select-center-donovan-clingan-with-the-no-7-pick-in-the-nba-draft.html|work=The Oregonian|date=June 26, 2024|access-date=June 27, 2024}} With his college number 32 retired by the Trail Blazers for Bill Walton, Clingan chose 23 as his jersey number.{{cite tweet|first=Casey|last=Holdahl|title=Also of note: Donovan Clingan will wear no. 23|number=1806728865198571721|user=CHold|date=June 28, 2024|access-date= June 28, 2024}} On July 4, he signed with Portland.{{cite web|title=Trail Blazers Sign Donovan Clingan|url=https://www.nba.com/blazers/news/trail-blazers-sign-donovan-clingan|website=NBA.com|date=July 4, 2024|access-date=July 5, 2024}}
Clingan made his NBA debut on October 23, 2024, in a 140–104 loss to the Golden State Warriors.{{cite web|title=Golden State Warriors at Portland Trail Blazers Box Score, October 23, 2024|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/202410230POR.html|website=BasketballRef|access-date=November 1, 2024}}
Career statistics
{{NBA player statistics legend}}
=NBA=
{{NBA player statistics start}}
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|2024}}
| style="text-align:left;"|Portland
| 67 || 37 || 19.8 || .539 || .286 || .596 || 7.9 || 1.1 || .5 || 1.6 || 6.5
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career
| 67 || 37 || 19.8 || .539 || .286 || .596 || 7.9 || 1.1 || .5 || 1.6 || 6.5
{{S-end}}
=College=
{{NBA player statistics start}}
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2022–23
| style="text-align:left;"| UConn
| 39 || 0 || 13.1 || .655 || .000 || .517 || 5.6 || .5 || .4 || 1.8 || 6.9
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2023–24
| style="text-align:left;"| UConn
| 35 || 33 || 22.5 || .639 || .250 || .583 || 7.4 || 1.5 || .5 || 2.5 || 13.0
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career
| 74 || 33 || 17.6 || .645 || .222 || .558 || 6.4 || 1.0 || .5 || 2.1 || 9.8
{{S-end}}
Personal life
Clingan is the son of Bill and Stacey Porrini Clingan. He has one younger sister, Olivia.{{cite web |title=Donovan Clingan - Men's Basketball |url=https://uconnhuskies.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/donovan-clingan/13276 |website=University of Connecticut Athletics |access-date=26 July 2024 |language=en}} Clingan's mother, Stacey Clingan, also played basketball at Bristol Central where she set school records for career rebounds and blocks before playing college basketball at the University of Maine.{{cite web|url=https://theathletic.com/4332941/2023/03/22/uconn-donovan-clingan-sweet-16/|title=Donovan Clingan is UConn's next big star. His mom would have loved it|first=Dana|last=O'Neil|website=The Athletic|date=March 22, 2023|access-date=March 22, 2023}} Stacey Clingan died of breast cancer in March 2018.{{Cite web |last=Doyle |first=Paul |date=April 1, 2023 |title=UConn men's basketball freshman Donovan Clingan honoring late mother at Final Four: "Make her proud' |url=https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/sports/uconn-mens-basketball/final-four/article/final-four-donovan-clingan-houston-huskies-17872157.php |access-date=April 3, 2023 |website=Stamford Advocate}} Clingan wore number 32, his mother's number, in Bristol and at UConn.{{Cite web |last=Arruda |first=Joe |date=2024-06-29 |title=Former UConn, Bristol Central star Donovan Clingan introduced as a Portland Trail Blazer |url=https://www.courant.com/2024/06/29/former-uconn-bristol-central-star-donovan-clingan-introduced-as-a-portland-trail-blazer/ |access-date=2024-07-08 |website=Hartford Courant |language=en-US}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{basketballstats|nba=1642270|bbr=c/clingdo01}}
- [https://uconnhuskies.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/donovan-clingan/13276 UConn Huskies bio]
{{Portland Trail Blazers current roster}}
{{navboxes|list=
{{2023 UConn Huskies men's basketball navbox}}
{{2024 UConn Huskies men's basketball navbox}}
{{2024 NBA draft}}
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clingan, Donovan}}
Category:21st-century American sportsmen
Category:American men's basketball players
Category:Sportspeople from Bristol, Connecticut
Category:Basketball players from Hartford County, Connecticut
Category:Portland Trail Blazers draft picks