Barely an hour after the NBA draft lottery outcomes have been revealed to the world reside from Chicago, and just some blocks away from the place the annual ceremony passed off, Donovan Clingan and Stephon Fort each arrive on set for our cowl shoot on the most picturesque indoor fitness center in all of America. Positioned at 167 Inexperienced within the Fulton Market District, the seventeenth ground hardwood courtroom, known as City Corridor, options beautiful panoramic skyline views of Chi City from nearly each aspect you flip because of its floor-to-ceiling glass partitions.
The view gives a calmness impact after the ruckus from the earlier hour, when each gamers came upon the quick checklist of groups which might be more than likely to finish up drafting them in June. It’s been fairly the journey for this duo—one that may have them stamped in faculty hoops historical past for eternity.
SLAM 250 that includes Donovan Clingan and Stephon Fort is obtainable now.
Clingan, a 7-2 heart, received back-to-back nationwide titles in his solely two seasons at UConn. He averaged 13 factors, 7.4 boards and a pair of.5 blocks per recreation this previous season, incomes him a spot on the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award Midseason Watch Checklist, the 2024 NCAA Last 4 All-Match Group and a ’24 NCAA East Area Most Excellent Participant nod.
In the meantime, Fort, a 6-6 freshman wing who averaged 11.1 factors, 4.7 rebounds and a pair of.9 assists whereas changing into a prime perimeter defender for the Huskies, made his personal imprint within the historical past books. He set a brand new Huge East file with 11 Freshman Convention Participant of the Week honors, surpassing Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson. He was additionally the primary Huskie since Rudy Homosexual in 2005 to win Huge East Freshman Participant of the Yr.
We sat down with each projected top-10 picks after our shoot to debate their historic run, their chemistry and their NBA outlook, amongst many different subjects.
SLAM: It’s been a number of weeks because you guys reduce down the nets and made historical past, going back-to-back as nationwide champs. Now that you just’ve had a while to course of all of it, how do you set into phrases the accomplishment?
Donovan Clingan: To win back-to-back, you understand, for me personally, was one thing actually particular simply because there’s not too many individuals that would go round saying that they’ve completed one thing that particular. We did it in such a historic program that has lots of historical past, and it’s a spot the place it’s arduous to make historical past. However to go on the market and do a few of the most historic issues which have occurred in this system was one thing actually particular. I believe UConn is a particular place that may all the time be dwelling to me. I do know Steph will say the identical factor. I’m simply tremendous, tremendous blessed to have the ability to have achieved what I’ve achieved, and I’ll be endlessly grateful for my two years at UConn.
Stephon Fort: I imply, truthfully, it actually nonetheless doesn’t even really feel actual to me. I solely received as soon as, I can solely think about what it appears like for DC. Simply the entire expertise was tremendous, tremendous enjoyable.
It actually was a blessing simply to be on the market with the good group that we had. We had an actual particular group. Like [DC] stated, it’s positively a second dwelling for me.
SLAM: At what particular level within the season do you keep in mind feeling like y’all had a extremely good probability to run all of it again?
DC: I really feel like after we went on our journey to Europe [UConn played in Monte Carlo and Spain last summer—Ed.], we noticed the potential we had. To be sincere, I really feel like I didn’t know if a nationwide title was a risk once more, simply because I noticed how arduous it was the yr earlier than, and we have been going to have a giant goal on our again, however after we obtained again from Europe, we had like two weeks off and we got here again in for the beginning of apply within the common season. And you may simply inform the power and the need of everybody on the staff, everybody on the employees, everybody within the constructing, actually, simply wished to go on the market and win each recreation, each evening.
SC: Early within the season, I didn’t understand how good we have been. I imply, we all the time talked about going back-to-back and chasing a nationwide championship, however I really feel like each faculty talks about going for a nationwide championship. I really feel prefer it was in regards to the midpoint of the season, in all probability like the place the Huge East [season] actually kicked off, once I kinda knew, like, we actually had an opportunity at profitable the entire thing over once more.
SLAM: Donovan, your freshman season, you solely averaged 13 minutes per recreation however performed a serious position within the rotation on the 2023 nationwide championship staff. What did you study from that group that you just have been then capable of apply to this previous season, if you grew to become a serious focus?
DC: Simply realizing every part I needed to give each single day. I performed [in practice] towards essentially the most dominant huge within the nation in Adama [Sanogo], who went into apply and into exercises each single day realizing that he’s gonna get higher and realizing that the staff was gonna want him that yr to make a giant leap [and] lead us to the place we wished to go. I really feel like that was one thing for me, coming into the season—I’ve to make a giant leap. I’ve to be a frontrunner. I’ve to dominate the ground on the offensive and defensive finish. I simply gotta give my all, day in and day trip, simply to make it possible for this staff wins.
SLAM: Steph, you bought thrown proper into the fireplace regardless of being a freshman—you have been a starter from the very first recreation, and solely got here off the bench a number of occasions as a result of an early season harm. What was the early problem like for you?
SC: I imply, it was positively arduous at first. Undoubtedly one thing that you need to actually alter to and actually simply embrace. However I really feel like my teammates, they’d lots of confidence in me this yr and so they instilled lots of confidence in myself. So, simply going on the market, simply trusting my work that I put in and simply realizing that the coaches consider in what I do.
SLAM: Donovan, you determined to return to faculty with out even testing the NBA waters in 2023. A reporter afterward stated that NBA scouts believed you may have been chosen anyplace between 25 and 40 within the draft that yr. Why did you assume it was vital to return?
DC: I knew I needed to mature as an individual, as a participant. I needed to broaden my recreation in some ways. I solely performed 13 minutes a recreation final yr. I wished to go on the market and be a starter, attempt to lead the staff to a different nationwide title and I simply wished to go play for UConn. I like Coach [Dan] Hurley, I like that employees, I like the college, and I simply wished to attempt to be a part of one thing actually particular and to have the ability to say that I did which means lots to me.
SLAM: Steph, do you keep in mind the second if you realized that regardless of being a freshman who’s beginning for the reigning nationwide champs, you had what it took to carry your personal at an elite stage?
SC: I don’t keep in mind the precise apply however I do know I used to be frying although, that’s the one factor I do keep in mind. I believe I used to be on the second staff on the time, too. So, that positively gave me lots of confidence going into it, particularly getting back from an harm.
SLAM: Are there components of your recreation that you just didn’t get an opportunity to showcase in faculty as a result of the staff didn’t want you to, that you just’re now excited to have the ability to present on the subsequent stage?
DC: Yeah, to have the ability to step out, shoot the three ball slightly extra, play off the dribble, actually simply working that midrange recreation and setting the pick-and-pops and simply roll to the rim, lobs. You understand, Coach Hurley had an awesome recreation plan for this staff. He all the time put us in the perfect place attainable and my staff didn’t want me to shoot threes to win video games. That’s one thing I didn’t need to do. [But] that’s one thing I’m gonna need to do to take my recreation to the following stage and succeed on the highest stage.
SC: I imply, in all probability simply being on the ball extra, taking extra photographs, like off the dribble and stuff like that. I really feel like Coach had an awesome scheme for us and he requested particularly what he wanted for us to win a championship. And I assumed we obtained it completed. But when there was something, I’ll say taking pictures off the dribble, playmaking slightly extra on the ball and, you understand, stuff like that.
SLAM: Steph, you set the Huge East file for many Convention Freshman of the Week honors, and in doing so, you surpassed Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson. What did that historic feat imply to you?
SC: It meant lots, simply to place my title subsequent to these high-level sort of men. You understand, I really feel like that meant lots for my profession and what my legacy was at UConn for that quick time. However lots of that credit score goes to my teammates and my coaches. I really feel like they put me in an awesome place to achieve success in these video games. I simply needed to go on the market and simply be myself. I really feel like lots of credit score goes to them.
SLAM: You additionally grew to become the primary UConn males’s participant since Rudy Homosexual in 2005 to win Huge East Freshman of the Yr.
SC: I wouldn’t say it was commonly only a objective for me, but it surely’s positively behind your head as you’re taking part in. It’s one thing that you just sort of shoot for. So, like DC stated, it’s a reasonably historic faculty. There’s been lots of nice names to come back out of there, so simply to have my title beside these guys and instilled in that historical past endlessly, it’s tremendous particular to me.
SLAM: Donovan, do you’ve got an off-the-court story of Stephon that you just’d say completely displays his character when the cameras aren’t rolling?
DC: I imply, Steph likes to nap. He likes to sleep. After we have been on the best way again from Europe, I keep in mind earlier than we overlooked of Barcelona—like, I don’t assume everybody was even on the airplane but—he was already asleep, and he didn’t get up till the lights turned on after we landed in Boston. It was like an eight-hour flight, and he didn’t get up as soon as. Not even to make use of the lavatory. Nothing. And I used to be similar to, That’s Steph! Like, when he’s sleeping, he’s sleeping. However when he’s up, he’s simply hooping. However he simply likes to nap. Each time I see him, he’s napping. On the bus, on the airplane—he’s napping.
SLAM: What about you, Steph—any good Donovan tales?
SC: So, it’s at some point in apply—I believe [Donovan], he wasn’t having the perfect apply. He was sort of mad at himself. I need to say he kicked one thing or he punched the backboard or it was one thing loopy like that, however he harm himself. And we had a recreation developing. I imply, we all the time known as him “Cling Kong,” so I really feel like that was one among his moments. He ripped his shirt in apply, punched the backboard, he began screaming. He was going loopy.
DC: I need to win [shrugs with a smile].
SC: It’s apply, although [laughs].
DC: It’s OK, I don’t lose.
SC: I don’t keep in mind the entire story. I do know you possibly can inform the story.
DC: I imply, I get upset typically with how I’m taking part in, and if I’m not doing what I’m imagined to do on the ground, I take it out on myself. And I put lots of stress on myself. I just do get pissed off at occasions—
SC: [interrupting Donovan] You ever seen any person punch the backboard with out leaping?
DC: I simply need to win [laughs].
SLAM: When folks discuss in regards to the 2023-2024 UConn Males’s staff 10, 20 years from now, what do you hope they are saying when it comes to your legacy?
SC: I believe we may be up there as top-of-the-line faculty basketball groups ever, as a result of if you consider it, our solely video games we misplaced have been away video games, and one among them, we didn’t even have our full staff. [Actually], two of them—one recreation I used to be harm after which one recreation [DC] obtained harm.
DC: Simply to be remembered as one among, if not the perfect faculty basketball staff ever. There was a bunch of men who gave it their all each single day for 11 months of the yr. It’s a particular group. We have been a brotherhood. Everybody liked one another, and that’s going to be a particular staff. There’s nobody that’s going to be overlooked endlessly. We’re all going to remain in contact, we’re all gonna be brothers for all times, and that’s simply one thing that’s actually vital to me.
Portraits by Joe Pinchin. Motion photographs through Getty Photographs.
