Syracuse Basketball: Donovan Clingan blue-blood interest, POY finalist

Syracuse basketball high-priority target Donovan Clingan put forth a ridiculous junior season for his high-school squad in Connecticut, and the accolades continue to pour in for the 2022 four-star big man.

Clingan, who has the Orange in his top eight, recently was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in Connecticut for the 2020-21 campaign, according to a press release.

Additionally, the talented 7-foot-1 center is one of three finalists for the Gatorade National Player of the Year, per a report by Joe Morelli of Hearst Connecticut Media Group.

As we’ve previously noted, Clingan also received the award for the MaxPreps Connecticut High School Basketball Player of the Year in 2020-21, and he was named to the MaxPreps junior All-America second team.

During his junior season for Bristol Central High School in Bristol, Conn., Clingan averaged 27.3 points, 17.2 boards, 5.8 blocks and 3.1 assists a game.

In the recently concluded campaign, Bristol Central High School tallied a 15-0 record and captured its first Central Connecticut Conference championship dating back to 2003.

Clingan is universally deemed a top-60 prospect in his class by the main recruiting services. When Rivals.com recently updated its national rankings of the top-150 prospects within the 2022 cycle, Clingan moved up three spots, to No. 44 overall. He is also the No. 7 center.

Syracuse basketball is in the mix for 2022 four-star center Donovan Clingan.

According to college basketball insider Adam Zagoria, Clingan plans to take an official visit to the Hill on June 19-20. Clingan’s top eight is the ‘Cuse, Michigan, Ohio State, Georgetown, Connecticut, Providence, Rutgers and fellow Atlantic Coast Conference member Notre Dame.

There’s a potential new wrinkle in his recruitment, though. Zagoria recently tweeted out that blue-blue program and recruiting powerhouse Kentucky has reached out regarding Clingan. That’s worrisome, in my opinion.

Some chatter from analysts of late has suggested that perhaps Connecticut and Michigan are the two front-runners for Clingan, however, he keeps things pretty close to the vest.

Syracuse basketball was the first team to offer Clingan, and he has said more than once that this means something to him. As it pertains to the Orange, Clingan recently said to 247Sports national basketball director Eric Bossi, “They believed in me and trusted me from the beginning, they have a Hall of Fame coach and they produce good players.”