Syracuse Priority Target Confidential: C Donovan Clingan

An in-depth look at the player and recruitment of 2022 center Donovan Clingan.

Donovan Clingan is one of the best center prospects in the 2022 recruiting class. He is down to eight schools, including Syracuse. Where does the Orange stand in his recruitment? Why is he such a coveted recruit? Will he visit this summer? Full breakdown here. 

Player: Donovan Clingan

Position: Center

School: Bristol Central High School (Bristol, CT)

Height/Weight: 7-1, 255 pounds

Other Notable Offers: Connecticut, Georgetown, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Rutgers, South Carolina

Official Visits Scheduled: None

Scouting Report: Clingan is an elite big who can do it all on both ends. He can play out of the post, handles the ball well, can hit a mid-range jumper and even extend out to the three point line at times, and is an elite finisher. Clingan plays with physicality and that helps him on the boards as well as a rim protector. If you are looking for an anchor of the zone on one end and an elite offensive threat on the other, Clingan is that guy. 

Recruitment: Syracuse has been recruiting Clingan extremely hard for quite some time. The Orange was his first offer, and the staff is in constant communication. He is expected to take five official visits, and Syracuse should be one of them. In fact, he has discussed it happening next month. The two other programs with the most buzz around Clingan are Connecticut and Michigan. Some consider those two as the teams to beat, but according to what we are hearing, he has not narrowed his focus to that extent. Syracuse will have to wow him on the official visit, and show him exactly how they would feature his talents. That would give Syracuse a shot to land him. 

Why Clingan is Important: The center spot has been the weak link on the Syracuse roster for the last few years. Syracuse has not had a game changer in the middle since Rakeem Christmas. Clingan would instantly bring a presence to the front court, give Syracuse the ability to play through the post and make the zone that much better with a big time shot blocker. His impact would be enormous.