The UConn Huskies have quickly built a dynasty in college basketball, capping off their excellent year this season with their second straight National Championship. But unfortunately, they may run into issues going for a third straight title win next year, as one of their top stars announced his departure to the upcoming 2024 NBA Draft on Friday.
UConn big man Donovan Clingan excelled this past season as a true presence down low for his team, averaging 13.0 points per game and 7.6 rebounds to go along with 2.5 blocks. His 7’2” frame with solid athleticism also makes him a very intriguing player as a rim defender in the NBA.
Clingan played a big part in the team’s success this year both in the regular season and the postseason. And now, he will be taking his talents to the NBA, officially declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft on Friday according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
BREAKING: University of Connecticut 7-foot-2 sophomore Donovan Clingan – a cornerstone of back-to-back NCAA titles – will enter the 2024 NBA Draft, he tells ESPN. After a dominant late season and NCAA’s, the No. 3 prospect in ESPN’s Top 100 is expected to be in running for the… pic.twitter.com/ecS1s9j0rt
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 12, 2024
As Wojnarowski stated, Clingan currently ranks as the No. 3 draft prospect in the ESPN Top 100 rankings, so he certainly should hear his name called in the draft sooner rather than later.
It can certainly be argued that he is perhaps the best true big-man prospect in the entire draft class. And he showed in the National Championship against Purdue and 7’4” center Zach Edey that he can certainly hold his own against some big-name competition.
Only time will tell whether Clingan will pan out at the NBA level. But heading into the draft, NBA teams in need of a center should certainly be taking a deeper look into some of Clingan’s film.
