Barely an hour after the NBA draft lottery outcomes have been revealed to the world reside from Chicago, and only a few 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 court docket, known as City Corridor, options beautiful panoramic skyline views of Chi City from nearly each facet 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 discovered the brief record of groups which are 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 school 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 Remaining 4 All-Event Workforce 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 turning into a high perimeter defender for the Huskies, made his personal imprint within the historical past books. He set a brand new Huge East document 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 matters.
SLAM: It’s been a couple of weeks because you guys lower down the nets and made historical past, going back-to-back as nationwide champs. Now that you simply’ve had a while to course of all of it, how do you place into phrases the accomplishment?
Donovan Clingan: To win back-to-back, you recognize, for me personally, was one thing actually particular simply because there’s not too many individuals that would go round saying that they’ve accomplished one thing that particular. We did it in such a historic program that has quite a lot of historical past, and it’s a spot the place it’s laborious 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 residence 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 without end grateful for my two years at UConn.
Stephon Fort: I imply, actually, it actually nonetheless doesn’t even really feel actual to me. I solely received as soon as, I can solely think about what it seems like for DC. Simply the entire expertise was tremendous, tremendous enjoyable.
It actually was a blessing simply to be on the market with the nice group that we had. We had an actual particular group. Like [DC] stated, it’s undoubtedly a second residence 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 once 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 spotted how laborious it was the 12 months earlier than, and we have been going to have an enormous goal on our again, however once we obtained again from Europe, we had like two weeks off and we got here again in for the beginning of observe within the common season. And you could possibly simply inform the vitality and the desire of everybody on the crew, everybody on the workers, 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 college talks about going for a nationwide championship. I really feel prefer it was in regards to the midpoint of the season, most likely like the place the Huge East [season] actually kicked off, after I kinda knew, like, we actually had an opportunity at successful the entire thing over once more.
SLAM: Donovan, your freshman season, you solely averaged 13 minutes per recreation however performed a serious function within the rotation on the 2023 nationwide championship crew. What did you study from that group that you simply have been then capable of apply to this previous season, while you turned a serious focus?
DC: Simply realizing all the things I needed to give each single day. I performed [in practice] in opposition to essentially the most dominant huge within the nation in Adama [Sanogo], who went into observe and into exercises each single day understanding that he’s gonna get higher and understanding that the crew was gonna want him that 12 months to make an enormous soar [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 an enormous soar. I’ve to be a pacesetter. I’ve to dominate the ground on the offensive and defensive finish. I simply gotta give my all, day in and time out, simply to ensure that this crew 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 couple of instances attributable to an early season damage. What was the early problem like for you?
SC: I imply, it was undoubtedly laborious at first. Positively one thing that it’s a must to actually regulate to and actually simply embrace. However I really feel like my teammates, they’d quite a lot of confidence in me this 12 months they usually instilled quite a lot of confidence in myself. So, simply going on the market, simply trusting my work that I put in and simply understanding that the coaches consider in what I do.
SLAM: Donovan, you determined to return to school with out even testing the NBA waters in 2023. A reporter afterward stated that NBA scouts believed you could possibly have been chosen anyplace between 25 and 40 within the draft that 12 months. 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 increase my recreation in some ways. I solely performed 13 minutes a recreation final 12 months. I wished to go on the market and be a starter, attempt to lead the crew to a different nationwide title and I simply wished to go play for UConn. I really like Coach [Dan] Hurley, I really like that workers, I really like the varsity, 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 meaning quite a bit to me.
SLAM: Steph, do you keep in mind the second while 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 observe 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 crew on the time, too. So, that undoubtedly gave me quite a lot of confidence going into it, particularly getting back from an damage.
SLAM: Are there elements of your recreation that you simply didn’t get an opportunity to showcase in school as a result of the crew didn’t want you to, that you simply’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 somewhat 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 realize, Coach Hurley had an important recreation plan for this crew. He all the time put us in one of the best place doable and my crew didn’t want me to shoot threes to win video games. That’s one thing I didn’t should do. [But] that’s one thing I’m gonna should do to take my recreation to the subsequent stage and succeed on the highest stage.
SC: I imply, most likely simply being on the ball extra, taking extra photographs, like off the dribble and stuff like that. I really feel like Coach had an important scheme for us and he requested particularly what he wanted for us to win a championship. And I assumed we obtained it accomplished. But when there was something, I’ll say capturing off the dribble, playmaking somewhat extra on the ball and, you recognize, stuff like that.
SLAM: Steph, you set the Huge East document 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 quite a bit, simply to place my identify subsequent to these high-level sort of men. You realize, I really feel like that meant quite a bit for my profession and what my legacy was at UConn for that brief time. However quite a lot of that credit score goes to my teammates and my coaches. I really feel like they put me in an important place to achieve success in these video games. I simply needed to go on the market and simply be myself. I really feel like quite a lot of credit score goes to them.
SLAM: You additionally turned 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 frequently only a objective for me, but it surely’s undoubtedly at the back of your head as you’re enjoying. It’s one thing that you simply form of shoot for. So, like DC stated, it’s a reasonably historic college. There’s been quite a lot of nice names to come back out of there, so simply to have my identify beside these guys and instilled in that historical past without end, it’s tremendous particular to me.
SLAM: Donovan, do you’ve got an off-the-court story of Stephon that you simply’d say completely displays his persona when the cameras aren’t rolling?
DC: I imply, Steph likes to nap. He likes to sleep. Once we have been on the best way again from Europe, I keep in mind earlier than we disregarded 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 once 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 in the future in observe—I believe [Donovan], he wasn’t having one of the best observe. He was form of mad at himself. I wish 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 arising. I imply, we all the time referred to as him “Cling Kong,” so I really feel like that was certainly one of his moments. He ripped his shirt in observe, punched the backboard, he began screaming. He was going loopy.
DC: I wish to win [shrugs with a smile].
SC: It’s observe, although [laughs].
DC: It’s OK, I don’t lose.
SC: I don’t keep in mind the entire story. I do know you’ll be able to inform the story.
DC: I imply, I get upset generally with how I’m enjoying, and if I’m not doing what I’m imagined to do on the ground, I take it out on myself. And I put quite a lot of strain on myself. I just do get pissed off at instances—
SC: [interrupting Donovan] You ever seen someone punch the backboard with out leaping?
DC: I simply wish to win [laughs].
SLAM: When individuals discuss in regards to the 2023-2024 UConn Males’s crew 10, 20 years from now, what do you hope they are saying by way of your legacy?
SC: I believe we could be up there as top-of-the-line school basketball groups ever, as a result of if you concentrate on it, our solely video games we misplaced have been away video games, and certainly one of them, we didn’t even have our full crew. [Actually], two of them—one recreation I used to be harm after which one recreation [DC] obtained harm.
DC: Simply to be remembered as certainly one of, if not one of the best school basketball crew ever. There was a bunch of men who gave it their all each single day for 11 months of the 12 months. It’s a particular group. We have been a brotherhood. Everybody cherished one another, and that’s going to be a particular crew. There’s nobody that’s going to be disregarded without end. 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 by way of Getty Photographs.
