Syracuse Basketball: Analyst notes 3 teams regarding Donovan Clingan

Syracuse basketball 2022 high-priority target Donovan Clingan has a top eight, including the Orange, and it will prove fascinating to see how his recruiting process evolves.

The ‘Cuse was the first team to offer the 7-foot-1 big man, back in August of 2019, and I’m hopeful that this will be a consideration for the four-star Clingan when it becomes time for him to choose a collegiate destination.

Clingan, a junior center at Bristol Central High School in Bristol, Conn., has kept his recruitment pretty close to the vest, analysts and other insiders have said.

As we recently noted in a column, Clingan wants to commit before his senior high-school season begins, and he’s also looking to set up some official campus visits, according to Jamie Shaw, a national analyst with Rivals.com.

A consensus top-60 prospect in the 2022 cycle, Clingan has a top eight of Syracuse basketball, Michigan, Ohio State, Georgetown, Connecticut, Providence, Rutgers and fellow Atlantic Coast Conference member Notre Dame.

Syracuse basketball is in a recruiting bout over 2022 center Donovan Clingan.

For a while now, a slew of Orange fans on social media and in chat rooms have opined that they believe the two teams to beat are Clingan’s home-state squad, UConn, along with Big Ten Conference heavyweight Michigan.

For what it’s worth, under Clingan’s bio on the 247Sports Web site, as it pertains to interest level, Connecticut is listed as “warmer,” and Michigan is listed as “warm.”

Shaw, in a separate story, said that “Clingan has 20-plus offers and is keeping a tight lip about his decision. Rutgers, Michigan and Connecticut seem to have some things working in their favor here.”

Shaw didn’t provide any further details, and I have no idea whether he has inside intel on Clingan. The whole recruiting business entails a bunch of speculation, in my opinion, although it does appear that perhaps UConn and Michigan have some solid buzz with Clingan.

All of the teams in his top eight are excellent. Rutgers and Ohio State have fared well over the past few stanzas. Michigan, a real success story on the recruiting trail of late, develops big men well. The same goes for Notre Dame and even Georgetown, for that matter.

Connecticut would seem a logical destination for Clingan, given where he plays high-school ball. Providence is a strong Big East Conference squad.

And Syracuse basketball competes in a massive facility within the talented Atlantic Coast Conference, and it has a Hall of Fame head coach in Jim Boeheim.

The bottom line is that Clingan can’t go wrong with any of these contenders. I just hope that the Orange prevails.