Donovan Clingan knows he must work on defense
TRUMBULL — Dan Hurley has given Donovan Clingan a message.
“You come with the offense,” the UConn men’s basketball coach told the 7-foot-2 incoming recruit, “and I’ll work on the defense.”
Clingan’s offense was on display on Sunday at the 59th Bridgeport JCC Classic at St. Joseph High. The Bristol Central senior scored a team-high 21 points for the Connecticut team against a team of talented fellow seniors from New Jersey. He hit a 3pointer (missed a few more, though showed good form), displayed deft footwork and inside moves and hit his teammates with nice passes out of double teams.
It wasn’t quite enough to prevent Connecticut from squadering a double-digit lead and falling 99-89, but that wasn’t all that important — even though it was likely Clingan’s final game of organized basketball until UConn’s season begins in early November.
For Clingan, it’s all about getting stronger, getting in shape before he officially arrives on UConn’s campus in early June (though he’s more or less been a fixture there since committing to the Huskies last fall, even trying to convince ECU transfer Tristen Newton to commit to the Huskies on Saturday).
Clingan has already lost 15 pounds since the end of the high school season just a few weeks ago. UConn strength coach Gavin Roberts has given him a weight-lifting regimen, and Clingan is working out every day before school — and after, if needed.
“Every day I’m working on my game, trying to get as good as I can until I get to campus,” he said. “I’m trying to get in as best shape as I can.”
Hurley recently revealed that he plans to run more of a four-out offense — four guards/shooters on the perimeter around one big man — and that suits Clingan just fine.
“It gives me a chance to play one-on-one, and I can find shooters in the corner, wings, wherever,” he said. “It’s gonna space the floor more and gives me more space to make a move and
get to the basket, or pass the ball if I have to.”
Occasionally, one of those shooters out on the perimeter could be Clingan. Although he was only 1-for-5 from 3 on Sunday, Clingan’s form looked good, and it’s something he’ll continue to work on. His goal, after all, is to play basketball well beyond his career at UConn.
“Now in the NBA, every big can shoot 3’s,” Clingan reasoned. “If I want to be in the NBA and play at the next level, I’ve got to expand my game.”
It’s the other end of the floor where Clingan may need the most work. Blocking shots was much easier in the CCC than it will be in the Big East. More so than that, however, Clingan will have to work on hedging off ball-screens. UConn will contour its defense in the coming years so that Clingan won’t have to hedge up at the top of the perimeter as much as, say, Adama Sanogo has done the past couple of years.
Still, it’s a part of the college game these days, especially with so many teams playing four- or fivemen out.
“I definitely need to work on that, work on coming off screens,” Clingan noted. “I feel like that’s one of the biggest things I need to work on, my defense, switching on the ball and stuff.”
And so, in the first or second week of June — before he even graduates from Bristol Central — Donovan Clingan will arrive at Storrs with an impressive offensive arsenal ready to go.
And Dan Hurley will get to work on Clingan’s defense.
RIM RATTLINGS
Villanova commit Mark Armstrong, a 6-3 guard, spearheaded New Jersey’s comeback on Sunday with 32 points and was named the game’s Most Valuable Player.
Jayquan Kirkland followed Clingan in the scoring column for Connecticut with 14 points, Westhill’s Jayson Slade added 12 and Fairfield-bound Matt Curtis of Northwest Catholic added 10.