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After winning two national titles in as many years with UConn, Donovan Clingan is headed to the NBA.
The 7-foot-2 Husky announced on social media he will “be pursuing the lifelong dream of mine to play in the NBA and will be entering my name in the 2024 NBA Draft.
“It will be very hard for me to leave my brothers after all the success these past two years,” Clingan wrote on Instagram. “But the time is NOW!!”
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Donovan Clingan of the Connecticut Huskies reacts in the second half against the Purdue Boilermakers during the NCAA national championship game at State Farm Stadium April 8, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Clingan will likely be a lottery pick, and with his dominance this year, especially in the tournament, he has put himself in the running to go No. 1 overall.
He is the third-ranked player in the ESPN Top 100 and averaged 15.3 points and 8.3 rebounds in March Madness.
He could have averaged more, but UConn made every game a blowout, once again dominating the competition.
The Huskies’ lowest margin of victory in six tournament games this year was 14 points, when they beat Alabama 86-72 in the Final Four.
UConn head coach Dan Hurley celebrates with center Donovan Clingan, left, after defeating Illinois in an Elite Eight game in the NCAA Tournament March 30, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
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Clingan was an important recruit for Hurley. He was a five-star prospect who chose to stay in state after leading Bristol Central High School to a state championship.
He spent his freshman season playing a backup role to Adama Sanogo, the most outstanding player of the 2023 Final Four, and averaged 6.9 points and 5.6 rebounds. This year, he started 33 of the 35 games he played.
Donovan Clingan (32) of the Connecticut Huskies dunks against the Illinois Fighting Illini during the first half of the Elite Eight of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at TD Garden March 30, 2024, in Boston. (Brett Wilhelm/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
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He scored 11 points in the championship game while tasked with guarding Purdue’s 7-foot-4 star Zach Edey man-to-man. Edey finished with 37 points and 10 rebounds, but Clingan’s defense allowed his teammates to stay with Purdue’s 3-point shooters. The Huskies held the Boilermakers to 1 of 7 shooting from beyond the arc in the 75-60 win.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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