UConn's star center Clingan entering NBA draft

UConn big man Donovan Clingan will forgo his remaining college eligibility and enter the 2024 NBA draft, he told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on Friday.

Clingan's decision comes just days after he helped lead the Huskies to their second straight NCAA Tournament championship, further pushing his draft stock into the lottery.

The 7-foot-2 center was one of college hoops' best defenders in his sophomore season - his first as a starter.

Clingan finished fifth nationally in blocks with 86 and ranked No. 1 in EvanMiya.com's defensive Bayesian performance rating metric. His rim protection pushed UConn to fourth in adjusted defensive efficiency on the season.

The Connecticut native turned his game up a notch in March Madness, averaging 15.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks across six games.

Though not a threat from outside the arc (2-for-9 in his career) and with room for improvement on his 55.8% free-throw percentage, Clingan's speed and agility at his size make him the ideal defensive big man for drop coverage schemes.