Donovan Clingan has stayed home in Connecticut throughout his basketball journey. For his next stop, he’ll be taking his talents to the northwest.
Clingan, a two-time national champion at UConn and a former star at Bristol Central High School in Connecticut, was selected with the No. 7 overall pick by the Portland Trail Blazers in Wednesday’s NBA Draft. The 7-foot-1 center was the defensive anchor of UConn’s historically dominant run over the last two years, and wants to bring that mindset to the rebuilding Blazers.
“I just want to win,” Clingan told ESPN moments after being drafted. “I just want to keep winning. I’m never going to be satisfied for where I’ve been, so I’m just going to keep going. I’m going to keep trying to get better, I’m going to keep learning and I’m just going to try to be the best player I can every day.”
Clingan is one of the best defensive prospects and rim protectors in this class, and that's where his immediate impact will come at the next level. He saved his best for last at UConn this spring, when he was named the East region’s Most Outstanding Player on the Huskies’ run to their second consecutive national championship. He averaged 15.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game during the NCAA Tournament.
Clingan has immense pride for his roots and family. He followed in the footsteps of his late mother, Stacey, who starred at the University of Maine – and was actually teammates there with Cooper Flagg’s mother, Kelly – before returning to her native Bristol.
Stacey died from breast cancer in 2018, and Donovan vowed to honor her as he took his game to the next level. Clingan became one of Connecticut’s best recruits at Bristol Central, where he became a two-time Gatorade Player of the Year and led the Rams to back-to-back undefeated seasons in 2020-21 and 2021-22. As a senior, he averaged 30.3 points, 18.4 rebounds and 6.2 blocks as he led Bristol Central to a CIAC Div. 2 state championship.
Clingan had opportunities to leave Bristol Central to join prep basketball powerhouses like Montverde Academy and Oak Hill Academy, but decided to stay home in part to honor his mom, who also starred at Bristol Central. On draft night Wednesday, the inside of Clingan’s suit included photos of him and his mom together.
“I know she’s super proud of me, I know she’s smiling down,” Clingan said on ESPN. “This is everything I’ve worked for in my entire life and just to hear my name called, it doesn’t feel real.”
There were several other players with New England ties drafted in the first round on Wednesday night.
• Stephon Castle, who spent his lone college season at UConn, was picked at No. 4 by the San Antonio Spurs. The 6-foot-6 guard scored 11.1 points per game for the Huskies and is arguably the best perimeter defender in this draft class.
• Matas Buzelis, who played for G-League Ignite last season, was drafted at No. 11 by the Chicago Bulls. The 6-foot-11 forward played for Brewster Academy in 2021-22 and was named New Hampshire’s Gatorade Player of the Year as he led them to a NEPSAC Class AAA championship.
• Providence standout Devin Carter was taken by the Sacramento Kings with the 13th pick. Carter spent a post-graduate season at Brewster Academy in 2020-21, then played his freshman season at South Carolina before transferring to Providence. He played two seasons with the Friars and was named the Big East Player of the Year last season after leading the conference in scoring.
