Donovan Clingan stepping into a leadership role

After dazzling off the bench as a freshman, the big man from Bristol is ready to be a starter and a team leader.

October 02, 2023

Photo by Ian Bethune

UConn announced that a foot injury will be keeping Donovan Clingan out for a month, but he’s still expected to be ready for the season opener on Nov. 6 against Northern Arizona.

After serving as the nation’s best bench player on a championship team loaded with veteran leaders, Donovan Clingan is expected to step up in some big ways for the reigning national champs. The 7-foot-2 center who’s been getting lots of attention from NBA scouts decided to return to UConn for his sophomore year and try to defend that title.

In addition to playing starter’s minutes, and building up the stamina to do that, the Bristol, CT native also needs to be a vocal leader for this year’s team.

The void in locker-room leadership left by guys like Andre Jackson, Jordan Hawkins, and Adama Sanogo looms large and the Huskies will be looking to a village of people to replace it, Hurley said, including Clingan.

After a recent practice, Clingan and Hurley discussed the big man's new role:

Video edited by Chelsea Brown

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