Syracuse basketball offering Donovan Clingan first could go a long way

Syracuse basketball 2022 target Donovan Clingan is taking his time with his recruitment.

Donovan Clingan is a top-60 prospect in the 2022 class and a highly coveted high-school player nationally in this cycle with a ton of impressive offers, yet Syracuse basketball was the first to offer him a scholarship.

Orange hoops fans, myself included, are hoping that this could go a long way toward the ‘Cuse securing a commitment from the four-star center, who is a junior at Bristol Central High School in Bristol, Conn., and suits up on the AAU circuit with the Boston-based Team Spartans.

Clingan said in a recent interview with Mike McAllister, the publisher of SyracuseOnSI, that he remains interested in the Orange, along with numerous other squads.

“Right now I don’t have my way set on one school or one school I like the most,” Clingan told McAllister. “So I like them all the same. They were my first offer so that’s always going to mean something to me because they had faith in me first. They believed in me from the beginning.”

"Meanwhile, Team Spartans director and head coach Joe Chatman is bullish on the ‘Cuse. Chatman said to McAllister regarding the Syracuse basketball coaching staff, “I love those guys. Donovan knows how I feel about them. It’s an amazing staff, obviously a Hall of Fame coach who has over a thousand wins. He doesn’t need a checklist of why and how. He’s seen it and done it all. For me, it’s a great place.”"

Besides the Orange, Clingan’s offers include from Boston College, Connecticut, Georgetown, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Providence, Rutgers, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Iona, Ohio State and Wake Forest.

Due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, which has resulted in a limitation on campus visits, AAU events and recruiting logistics in general, “I lost a lot of exposure over the summer, the 7-foot-1 Clingan said.

"He added, though, “Right now, I’m happy where I’m at. Obviously I want to get better and get more schools to offer and interest and stuff. But maybe a couple months from now cut down my schools, maybe a year from now make a decision. I’m not really sure. It’s just like all up in the air right now.”"

It could prove a while before we know whether Syracuse basketball will end up as a finalist on Clingan’s shortlist, particularly since his recruiting process is fairly tough to gauge.

But the skill-set that this big man would bring to the ‘Cuse or whichever other team lands him is top-notch, Chatman said, and recruiting analysts who have seen Clingan play absolutely agree.