Donovan Clingan Returns to UConn after NCAA Title Win; Passes on 2023 NBA Draft

UConn center Donovan Clingan announced Saturday that he will return to school for his sophomore season in 2023-24.

The 7'2" big man was a key figure in the Huskies' run to a national title last season as they ran through the NCAA tournament and defeated San Diego State 76-59 in Monday night's National Championship Game.

Jeff Goodman of Stadium tweeted that NBA general managers and executives he spoke to projected that Clingan would have been selected somewhere between the Nos. 25 and 40 overall picks in the 2023 NBA draft had he declared.

In his first season of college basketball, Clingan didn't play huge minutes, but he was impactful whenever he was on the court.

Appearing in 39 games, Clingan averaged 6.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 13.1 minutes per contest.

He had four double-doubles on the season, and his best performance in the NCAA tourney came during an 87-63 win over Iona in the first round when he registered 12 points, nine rebounds and two blocks.

Clingan played only 10 minutes in the national championship game, but he made them count, producing four points, three boards, two steals, one block and one assist.

After starring at Bristol Central High School in Bristol, Connecticut, Clingan opted to stay close to home by committing to play for the Huskies. Per 247Sports, he was a 4-star recruit and the No. 56 overall prospect in the 2022 class.

Despite only ranking eighth on the team in minutes per game, Clingan led the Huskies in blocks last season, and was third in rebounding and fifth in scoring.

Jordan Hawkins, who was the Huskies' No. 2 scorer in 2022-23 with 16.2 points per game, declared for the 2023 draft on Friday.

Leading scorer Adama Sanogo has yet to announce his decision, but if he declares for the draft as well, it would vault Clingan into position to be one of UConn's top producers next season.

That would likely improve Clingan's draft stock significantly and perhaps even push him into the lottery conversation.

Since Clingan only got to showcase a small portion of what he is capable of during his freshman season, returning for at least one more year is perhaps the best move for his NBA future.