Bristol Central seven-foot sophomore Donovan Clingan has been putting up video game-like numbers for his team this season.
Just look at the past two games the Rams have played, which were both Friday nights inside the friendly confines of the Charles C. Marsh Gymnasium at Bristol Central High School.
Simsbury (58-46 win on Jan. 17): 26 points, 22 rebounds (Bristol Observer)
Bristol Eastern (75-36 win on Jan. 24): 28 points, 11 rebounds, 6 blocks (Bristol Press)
Again, Clingan is just a sophomore. No wonder why he has Division I scholarship offers from UConn, Syracuse, Providence, UMass and Georgetown.
What I like about Clingan is nearly every time he dunks, he does it forcefully with two hands. He is a menace defensively in the paint, and even extending outside the paint. I remember watching him block a Southington shot near the top of the key as a freshman last season. He started that play in the lane.
Clingan has things you can’t teach: size, good hands, soft touch and good footwork. Double teams have proven ineffective against him in many games this season.
I recall watching former Torrington great Jordan Williams play in the 2009 Class L semifinal round at the former New Haven Athletic Center, now known as the Floyd Little Athletic Center. Lyman Hall-Wallingford, Torrington’s semifinal opponent, threw six-foot-seven Jefferson Lora and six-foot-six David Dempsey at him on double teams. When that proved less than effective, the Trojans employed a full-court press against the Raiders. The press made it very difficult to get the ball to Williams. It was Jordan’s younger brother, Desmond Williams, who hit the game-winning shot to give Torrington a 39-38 victory and send it to the state final. (Yup, you read that score right. It was not the most aesthetically-pleasing game, to say the least.)
Could the full-court press strategy work against Clingan and Bristol Central? Maybe. An opponent could also try packing a zone in tight around Clingan and daring the Rams to hit shots from the perimeter. Central does have outside shooters — Austin Brown and Sean Wininger among them — that can hit those shots, and there are no designated rebounding matchups in a zone.
Trying to find a way to stop Clingan may keep opposing coaches up at night. Bristol Central is 9-2, but three straight huge tests await the Rams. On Thursday, Central plays at top-ranked East Catholic. Second-ranked Windsor is next on the road on Feb. 3, followed by always tough Middletown away on Feb. 6. Those games will really show where Clingan and Central stand.
Photo caption: Bristol Central’s Donovan Clingan blocks a Southington shot during his freshman season. (Copyright, Sports on CT-69, file)
