Will Donovan Clingan play in the NBA next season? What position could he be selected in the draft?

Connecticut’s star player Donovan Clingan is moments away from making Purdue back-to-back NCAA champions as the UCONN Huskies take on the Purdue Boilermakers in the NCAA final.

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Clingan is just a sophomore but is likely in his last year with the Huskies and is a sure bet to be in the lottery for the 2024 NBA Draft. He’s been a dominant force for UCONN, blocking 18 shots during the NCAA tournament so far and putting up two double-doubles.

What position could Donovan Clingan be drafted?

At just 20 years old, 7′2″ tall, and 280 pounds, Clingan’s youthful athleticism make him a top tier talent and likely to go within the top 10 in the NBA Draft. He’s an excellent shot-blocker and dominates on offense, but can also play well defensively, with a 1.87 assist to turnover ratio this season.

As the final goes on, he has a chance to alter that draft stock as he goes up against fellow 7-foot+ player Zach Edey with Purdue. Clingan is second to Edey in college basketball Player Efficiency Rating with a 35.7 mark.

Clingan is averaging 16.2 points, 9 rebounds, and 3,6 blocks per Game on 64.8% shooting. He’s the tournament’s overall leader in blocks. If he’s able to defend Edey well and get the Huskies some shots, he’ll see his draft position go up even more.

The most recent draft has Clingan going anywhere from No. 3 overall to No. 14 overall and none of the leading experts expect him to fall out of the lottery no matter what happens in the final. The top teams expected to take Clingan are the Portland Trail Blazers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and New Orleans Pelicans.