STORRS – UConn men’s basketball coach Dan Hurley issued a public service announcement after practice Thursday surrounding his star center, Donovan Clingan.
“Anyone around the state, or on campus, if you see him just wandering around, tell him to go sit down,” Hurley said. “Tell him to just get around the team and stop walking around in the boot.”
Clingan, the 7-foot-2 lob threat and defensive anchor who is continuing to expand his game, suffered a foot strain in practice last week and is expected to be sidelined for about a month.
“Donovan, he’s a very personable guy and he’s really alive but if he wants to be back for the opener, which he should be able to be back for, he’s just gotta take care of his foot, stay off of it, and everything will be fine,” Hurley said, noting that Clingan is getting better.
For now, as he prepares for likely doubling his minutes, Clingan is able to do pool workouts and is starting to transition onto the workout bikes. The last thing the team wants to do, especially considering his size, is rush him back onto the court too soon.
“You’ve got to trust the medical people, obviously,” Hurley said. “We’re gonna make sure he’s fully healthy before he gets back out there. … The things we’re doing with him will keep him in shape, he’s not gonna need tons of reps because he’s got great hands and he’s got great feet and he’s a natural player.
“So we’ll ease him back in when he’s healthy and I think the transition to get him back in, he’s gonna be returning to a better team which I think will make it easier for him when he comes back.”
While Clingan is out, reps have increased for backup Samson Johnson, who missed almost all of last season with a foot injury of his own, and freshman Youssouf Singare.
“A lot of benefit for Samson, a lot of benefit just to try to develop Youssouf,” Hurley said. “But then it also allows us to concentrate on the freshmen because we’re gonna need them whether as a starter or as bench impact players. It was good for us last year to have Jordan (Hawkins) and Andre (Jackson) miss that time because we were able to develop our bench. It kind of sucked to go through but this is the same situation.”
Johnson, a superior athlete, was talked about as a potential first-round NBA Draft pick when he arrived in Storrs. He hadn’t had much time on the court in his first two years playing behind Adama Sanogo and then Clingan, but this season is one where he will fill a critical role.
His coach at The Patrick School, Chris Chavannes, told The Courant that he was receiving calls after UConn’s national championship run about the potential of Johnson transferring. He never blinked.
“(Johnson’s) been waiting really patiently for his opportunity to get out in front of big-time college basketball atmospheres and just be in the mix. Everyone that’s played here knows how talented he is,” Hurley said. “He’s a great one-two punch right now at center with Donovan. He’s a different type of center, he’s obviously a movement center playing way above the rim in the ball-screen game and brings an element of quickness. You could do some different things defensively when he’s in the game.
“I just think he’s gonna be around a lot of shooting and a lot of passing and a lot of skill, so he’s in a great spot.”
Stephon Castle is coming along
UConn is continuing to get its McDonald’s All-American freshman Stephon Castle adjusted to the college game. Right now, for the point guard, it’s all about learning the complexities of Hurley’s system.
“The groups are blended, they’re mixed, so he’s not even out there where he could be truly comfortable yet. Like he has not played with Samson or Donovan, Alex (Karaban) at the four, Cam (Spencer) and Tristen (Newton) at guards where he can just facilitate and create with four scorers, finishers or shooters around him,” Hurley said. “That’s when he’s gonna be doing a lot the stuff offensively that Andre did for us in terms of shot creating and such.
“Plus, he’s still learning a very complex defensive system and we’re very sophisticated on offense. The expectation is we’re gonna be a top-five offense in the country this year and a top-10 defense so his head’s spinning. Early November he’ll be alright.”
Stewart getting comfortable in Storrs
For Jaylin Stewart, the forward from Seattle who was ranked in ESPN’s top 100 for the 2023 recruiting class, the environment in Storrs is what makes him feel at home.
“The scenery, the green, it’s like Seattle in a way so it makes me feel at home,” he said.
Stewart arrived later than the other freshmen because of his school schedule and was nursing a groin injury when the team played in game situations for the first time in Europe.
“I had to catch up and really dig deep and find myself, find my own role on the team and I feel like I’m doing a pretty good job on that,” he said. “It wasn’t moreso a role, it was more confidence. I feel like Coach has been instilling that to me for the past two weeks, he’s really saying they need me this year. That I’m not just on the team, I’m part of it. So that’s been doing a good thing for me.”
From the West Coast and moving into unfamiliar territory, Stewart says he was “like the outcast” in the five-man freshman class, but the group has welcomed him with open arms. He noted Karaban, who plays a similar position, has been a role model and helped teach him every day.
“I love everything about (UConn) honestly, the competitive nature, the fans, everything that comes with it,” he said. “It’s gonna be different because I’ve never really played in front of this many fans that are so passionate about the game, but I think it’s gonna uplift me and make me play better, uplift my game. It’s just a win-win.”
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