UConn sophomore center Donovan Clingan declared for the 2024 NBA Draft on Friday, he told ESPN, according to Adrian Wojnarowski.
Clingan is coming off of his second straight NCAA Championship, helping his UConn Huskies defeat the Purdue Boilermakers while competing in a battle against Purdue’s star center Zach Edey.
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
Clingan is projected to be a lottery pick after a strong season and an even stronger tournament performance. The 7-foot, 2-inch tall big man had his best game of the tournament in the elite eight-round against Illinois, putting together a double-double performance with 22 points and 10 rebounds.
Woj predicts he’ll be in the running to be selected first overall, though most draft analysts predict him somewhere in the range of picks five through 10. (RELATED: Kamala Harris Makes Her Most Bizarre False Claim Yet, This Time About … Brackets)
No matter where he goes, though, the big boy is sure to make an impact. Though he’s not much of a three-point shooter (only eight attempts all season) he’s fearsome in the low post, dominating with his size and backing down opponents with his back to the basket.
He’d be a welcome addition to any team looking to improve their size as he’s a force on both ends of the ball.