UConn opens Phil Knight Invitational with Oregon
PORTLAND, Ore. — The UConn men’s basketball team is in for a “big” challenge in its first Phil Knight Invitational game on Thursday. Quite literally.
The Huskies will face better teams this season than Oregon, but none bigger. The Ducks roll out a starting lineup that goes 7-foot, 6-11, 6-8, 6-5, 6-2. They bring a 7-foot potential NBA lottery pick, freshman Kel’el Ware, off the bench.
Adama Sanogo is averaging 21.4 points per game and one Big East Player of the Week per week. He’s won the award the first two weeks of the season. Seven-foot-2 freshman Donovan Clingan has been impressive in his first give games as a collegian. The duo combined for 42 points and 13 rebounds in a win over Delaware State on Sunday.
Oregon is no Delaware State. And Sanogo and Clingan know it.
“I’m ready, I’m excited,” Clingan said. “I’ve been working hard throughout the summer, the whole start of fall. I’ve just got to go out there and execute, be physical, play tough and work my hardest against the best teams.”
Battling against each other each in practice over the past several months has helped both Clingan and Sanogo.
“Going against Adama every day is going to help me against the competition I’m going to face for the next 25 games,” Clingan said. “Especially Oregon. They’re athletic, they’re strong. I play against that every single day. When Samson ( Johnson) was healthy, he was one of the most athletic guys I’ve ever seen. Going against him helped me, and going against Adama and his strength has helped me a lot. I just know that I have the confidence in myself.”
Sanogo has benefited, as well: “It helps me a lot, because I have this 7-footer guarding me, so I’ve got to find a way to score around him.”
Thursday night against Oregon will give a good glimpse of how much it has helped the two UConn big men.
“This is what we’ve been waiting for through these first five games,” Clingan said. “Just got to go out there and execute, play together for a full 40 minutes, because Oregon’s not going to let up in the second half at all. We’ve got to go out there and play well for 40 minutes.”