Barely an hour after the NBA draft lottery outcomes had been revealed to the world dwell from Chicago, and just some blocks away from the place the annual ceremony happened, Donovan Clingan and Stephon Citadel each arrive on set for our cowl shoot on the most picturesque indoor gymnasium in all of America. Situated 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 facet you flip due to 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 most certainly 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 Citadel is on the market now.
Clingan, a 7-2 middle, gained 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 sport this previous season, incomes him a spot on the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award Midseason Watch Checklist, the 2024 NCAA Last 4 All-Event Workforce and a ’24 NCAA East Area Most Excellent Participant nod.
In the meantime, Citadel, 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 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 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 set into phrases the accomplishment?
Donovan Clingan: To win back-to-back, you realize, for me personally, was one thing actually particular simply because there’s not too many individuals that would go round saying that they’ve achieved 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 among 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 house to me. I do know Steph will say the identical factor. I’m simply tremendous, tremendous blessed to have the ability to have completed what I’ve completed, and I’ll be ceaselessly grateful for my two years at UConn.
Stephon Citadel: I imply, actually, it actually nonetheless doesn’t even really feel actual to me. I solely gained 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 good group that we had. We had an actual particular group. Like [DC] stated, it’s undoubtedly a second house 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 laborious it was the 12 months earlier than, and we had been going to have a giant goal on our again, however after we acquired again from Europe, we had like two weeks off and we got here again in for the beginning of follow within the common season. And you might simply inform the power and the desire of everybody on the workforce, everybody on the workers, everybody within the constructing, actually, simply needed to go on the market and win each sport, each night time.
SC: Early within the season, I didn’t know the way good we had 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, most likely like the place the Huge East [season] actually kicked off, once 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 sport however performed a significant position within the rotation on the 2023 nationwide championship workforce. What did you be taught from that group that you simply had been then in a position to apply to this previous season, while you turned a significant point of interest?
DC: Simply realizing every thing I needed to give each single day. I performed [in practice] in opposition to probably the most dominant huge within the nation in Adama [Sanogo], who went into follow and into exercises each single day figuring out that he’s gonna get higher and figuring out that the workforce was gonna want him that 12 months to make a giant leap [and] lead us to the place we needed 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 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 be sure that this workforce wins.
SLAM: Steph, you bought thrown proper into the hearth regardless of being a freshman—you had been a starter from the very first sport, and solely got here off the bench a couple of instances resulting from 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 and so they instilled quite a lot of confidence in myself. So, simply going on the market, simply trusting my work that I put in and simply figuring out 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 might have been chosen wherever 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 sport in some ways. I solely performed 13 minutes a sport final 12 months. I needed to go on the market and be a starter, attempt to lead the workforce to a different nationwide title and I simply needed to go play for UConn. I really like Coach [Dan] Hurley, I really like that workers, I really like the varsity, and I simply needed to attempt to be a part of one thing actually particular and to have the ability to say that I did meaning rather a lot 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 individual at an elite degree?
SC: I don’t keep in mind the precise follow 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 workforce 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 sport that you simply didn’t get an opportunity to showcase in faculty as a result of the workforce didn’t want you to, that you simply’re now excited to have the ability to present on the subsequent degree?
DC: Yeah, to have the ability to step out, shoot the three ball just a little extra, play off the dribble, actually simply working that midrange sport and setting the pick-and-pops and simply roll to the rim, lobs. , Coach Hurley had an important sport plan for this workforce. He all the time put us in the very best place attainable and my workforce 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 sport to the following degree and succeed on the highest degree.
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 believed we acquired it achieved. But when there was something, I’ll say taking pictures off the dribble, playmaking just a little extra on the ball and, you realize, 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 rather a lot, simply to place my title subsequent to these high-level sort of men. , I really feel like that meant rather a lot 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 often only a purpose for me, but it surely’s undoubtedly behind your head as you’re taking part in. It’s one thing that you simply sort of shoot for. So, like DC stated, it’s a fairly historic faculty. There’s been quite a lot of nice names to return out of there, so simply to have my title beside these guys and instilled in that historical past ceaselessly, it’s tremendous particular to me.
SLAM: Donovan, do you have got an off-the-court story of Stephon that you simply’d say completely displays his character when the cameras aren’t rolling?
DC: I imply, Steph likes to nap. He likes to sleep. Once we had been on the best way again from Europe, I keep in mind earlier than we unnoticed of Barcelona—like, I don’t assume everybody was even on the aircraft 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 identical 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 aircraft—he’s napping.
SLAM: What about you, Steph—any good Donovan tales?
SC: So, it’s at some point in follow—I believe [Donovan], he wasn’t having the very best follow. He was sort 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 sport arising. I imply, we all the time referred to as him “Cling Kong,” so I really feel like that was considered one of his moments. He ripped his shirt in follow, punched the backboard, he began screaming. He was going loopy.
DC: I wish to win [shrugs with a smile].
SC: It’s follow, 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 generally with how I’m taking part in, and if I’m not doing what I’m purported to do on the ground, I take it out on myself. And I put quite a lot of stress on myself. I just do get annoyed at instances—
SC: [interrupting Donovan] You ever seen any individual punch the backboard with out leaping?
DC: I simply wish to win [laughs].
SLAM: When folks discuss in regards to the 2023-2024 UConn Males’s workforce 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 among the finest faculty basketball groups ever, as a result of if you consider it, our solely video games we misplaced had been away video games, and considered one of them, we didn’t even have our full workforce. [Actually], two of them—one sport I used to be harm after which one sport [DC] acquired harm.
DC: Simply to be remembered as considered one of, if not the very best faculty basketball workforce 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 had been a brotherhood. Everybody beloved one another, and that’s going to be a particular workforce. There’s nobody that’s going to be unnoticed ceaselessly. 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 images by way of Getty Photographs.