Clingan grew up in Bristol, Connecticut, and attended Bristol Central High School, where he led the boys basketball team to a 2022 Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference Division II state championship.[1][2] He also played Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball for Joe Chatman[3] at Team Spartans in Dorchester, Massachusetts.[3][4] Clingan averaged 27.3 points, 17.2 rebounds and 5.8 blocks per game as a junior and was named the Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year.[5] Clingan repeated as the Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year after averaging 30.3 points, 18.4 rebounds and 6.2 blocks per game during his senior season.[6] On July 2, 2021, he committed to playing college basketball for UConn over offers from Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Georgetown, Syracuse, Providence and Rutgers.[7]
Clingan grew up with and is close friends with current UConn Huskies football running back Victor Rosa. Rosa was Clingan's point guard in high school, and was a record-breaking football player as well.[8]
College career
Clingan entered his freshman season at UConn as the Huskies' backup center behind Adama Sanogo.[9] He was named to the Big East Conference All-Freshman team at the end of the regular season.[10] Clingan scored four points with three rebounds, a block and two steals in the 2023 national championship game as the Huskies won 76–59.[11] Although he was considered to be a likely selection in the 2023 NBA draft, he decided to return to UConn for his sophomore season.[12]
Clingan entered his sophomore year as UConn's starting center.[13][14] He suffered a foot injury in a game against Seton Hall on December 20, 2023.[15] Clingan returned on January 17, 2024, scoring six points and grabbing five rebounds in 16 minutes of play in a 62–48 win over 18th-ranked Creighton.[16]
On April 12, 2024, Clingan declared for the 2024 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.[17]
Professional career
Portland Trail Blazers (2024–present)
On June 26, 2024, Clingan was selected with the seventh overall pick by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2024 NBA Draft.[18] With his college number 32 retired by the Trail Blazers for Bill Walton, Clingan chose 23 as his jersey number.[19] On July 4, he signed with Portland.[20]
Clingan is the son of Bill and Stacey Porrini Clingan. He has one younger sister, Olivia.[22] Clingan's mother, Stacey Clingan, also played basketball at Bristol Central where she set school records for career rebounds and blocks before playing college basketball at the University of Maine.[23] Stacey Clingan died of breast cancer in March 2018.[24] Clingan wore number 32, his mother's number, in Bristol and at UConn.[25]
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