STORRS, Conn. — Donovan Clingan is leaving UConn after two seasons and entering the NBA draft, the 7-foot-2 center announced Friday, four days after he helped lead the Huskies to a second straight national title.
Clingan, a sophomore from Bristol, Connecticut, posted his decision on social media, saying that playing in the NBA has been a "lifelong dream."
"It will be very hard for me to leave my brothers after all the success these past two years," Clingan wrote. "But the time is NOW!!"
His decision did not come as a surprise. Huskies coach Dan Hurley has consistently referred to both Clingan and freshman guard Stephon Castle as NBA lottery picks. Castle has yet to announce his future plans.
Clingan was an important recruit for Hurley, a five-star prospect who chose to stay in state after leading Bristol Central High School to a state championship.
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He spent his freshman season playing a backup role to Adama Sanogo, the most outstanding player of the 2023 Final Four, and averaged 6.9 points and 5.6 rebounds.
Clingan stepped into a starting role this season, but struggled early with foot injuries that cost him five games.
He finished the season averaging 13 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks. And he raised his game in the NCAA Tournament, averaging 15.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.2 blocks during the Huskies' six-game run that ended with the program's sixth NCAA title.
He scored 11 points in the championship game while tasked with guarding Purdue's 7-4 star Zach Edey man-to-man. Edey finished with 37 points and 10 rebounds, but Clingan's defense allowed his teammates to stay with Purdue's 3-point shooters, holding the Boilermakers to 1-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc in the Huskies' 75-60 win.
Pair of Duke stars turning pro
DURHAM, N .C. — Kyle Filipowski and Jared McCain, Duke's top two scorers, are both off the NBA.
The two announced their decisions on social media Friday.
Filipowski, a 7-foot sophomore from Westtown, N.Y., was named a second-team AP All-American after averaging a team-high 16.4 points. He also led the Blue Devils in rebounds (8.3 per game) and in blocked shots with 54.
Filipowski thanked the school, its fans, his teammates and coaches. “This has been a lifelong dream of mine,” he said in his post. “And I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to pursue it.”
McCain, a 6-3 freshman from Sacramento, Calif., averaged 14.3 points. He, too, thanked his family, fans, coaches and teammates for their support during his one season in college.
UCLA's Bona enters draft
LOS ANGELES — Adem Bona is leaving UCLA after two years to enter the NBA draft.
The sophomore from Lagos, Nigeria, announced his plans Friday on his Instagram account.
Bona averaged 10.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.7 blocks while starting 65 of 66 games over his two years in Westwood.
The 6-foot-10 forward-center was named All-Pac-12 and was the league's Defensive Player of the Year this season. Bona earned Pac-12 All-Defensive Team honors both seasons and was named the league’s Freshman of the Year in 2023.
BRIEFLY
MONSON HIRED: Eastern Washington hired Dan Monson on Friday, the coach who led Long Beach State to the NCAA Tournament after the school told him he would be fired at the end of the season. Monson, who also coached at Gonzaga and Minnesota, will take over an Eagles program that has won the last two Big Sky Conference regular-season titles.