The latest on Top-50 junior Donovan Clingan
This past season, Donovan Clingan emerged as one of 2022’s top-rated big men. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the 7-foot-1 big out of Bristol Central in Connecticut landed scholarship offers from nearly ten programs. He started the contact period just having six scholarship offers but that number doubled once coaches began recruiting him and speaking with him.
There are many schools involved, the list goes on and on, but who’s currently recruiting the prized big?
Clingan says UConn, UMass, Michigan State, Georgetown, Providence, Iowa, Syracuse, Rutgers, Notre Dame, Boston College, Yale, Maryland, Virginia Tech, South Carolina, Iona, Louisville, UCF, Northwestern, Columbia, Maryland, Georgia, Ohio State, Holy Cross, Clemson, and Wake Forest.
The last program listed, Wake Forest, became Clingan’s newest offer as they extended him a scholarship during a phone call on Tuesday afternoon. In addition, later on, that evening, he became one of fifty 2022 prospects selected to participate in the McDonald’s All-American Evaluation Combine on October 24th. A huge honor for the big man.
Back to the recruitment part.
Clingan says recently he’s talked with head coaches from UConn, Notre Dame, Rutgers, and Georgetown.
I asked him what his relationship is like with UConn coach Danny Hurley, who was one of the first coaches to spark interest in Clingan, his answer: Great. He [Hurley] saw him several times this past season, capping it off with attending a game where Clingan competed against Hurley’s younger son.
“He loves my game and tells me choosing UConn would be the best decision of my life.”
Then you got the team-up scenarios that everyone attempts to come up with as guys are committing and being recruited by different schools. With that, I asked Clingan who he has talked about possibly teaming-up with at the college level.
His answers?
“Avery Brown, Kyle Cuffe Jr, and Matt Curtis.”
Expect to hear more of Clingan’s name as we enter the fall and high school season will begin to start up. I think this is a recruit who has the potential to rise in any rankings and be effective at the college level.