"He’s a sweetheart of a guy": UConn HC Dan Hurley lauds "gentle giant" Donovan Clingan after UConn downs Xavier in Big East Tournament

Dan Hurley is a big fan of Donovan Clingan after making it to the Big East Tournament semifinals. The UConn Huskies coach praised his star center as Clingan led them to a convincing 87-60 win over Xavier at Madison Square Garden on Thursday. The Huskies are now just two steps away from lifting the conference title and making it to the March Madness.

UConn has dominated the 2023-24 basketball season with a 29-3 record. Clingan has played an important role in the run that could make the Huskies repeat national champions. So it was the right time for Hurley to hype up one of his stars to get the best out of him in the most crucial part of the season.

“He’s a gentle giant, you know?” Hurley said. “Sometimes he’s gotta get that intensity level up, that nastiness. He’s a sweetheart of a guy, but he turned it up and got pissed off. He impacts the game like few players in the country.”

Clingan has averaged 12.4 points per game this season while registering 6.9 rebounds. The 7-foot-2 sophomore has only managed 1.4 assists per game but was a driving force in the team that finished as the regular season champions with just two conference losses. The Huskies seem ready for March Madness.

Donovan Clingan helps Dan Hurley’s UConn to convincing win over Xavier

A second-half surge gave the defending men’s basketball national champions, UConn, a chance to stay in the hunt for the Big East title. Donovan Clingan played just 26 minutes of the game but scored a team-high 13 points against the ninth-seeded Xavier. He also recorded seven rebounds and four assists.

Donovan Clingan - Connecticut Huskies vs. Villanova Wildcats. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

Star guard Tristen Newton also scored 13 points in the game, while Alex Karaban, along with Cam Spencer and Samson Johnson, chipped in with 12 points each.

The first half of the game was close, with just one point separating the two teams. However, a dominant second half helped the school to win comfortably over the Musketeers. The Huskies will play either Seton Hall or St. John’s next.