Coach | 7-Foot Notre Dame Target Donovan Clingan Blends New & Old School

Donovan Clingan jumps out, but not just because of his size.

“To be that big and be that nimble is something I don’t think a lot of us have ever seen before,” says Joe Chatman, the director of Clingan’s Team Spartans AAU program. “He’s a legit 7-1, 7-1.5 and he’s 275, 280 pounds and can handle it like he’s a 6-foot-5 wing kid.

“I’m not going to sit here and act like he’s a wide receiver as far as his speed, but when you just turned 16 and you’re 7-1 and 275 pounds, you’re not supposed to be able to move that quickly. He’s very agile.

“He’s a very special kid off the court as well.”

Chatman says Clingan’s skillset is a blend of old school and new age.

“What I mean by that is that he has an ability to play with his back to the basket, but he also can step out, pick-and-pop and make a three,” says Chatman. “You can start your offense with him, giving him the ball at the high-post, mid-post and he can make plays out of that. He’s very, very, very interesting. It’s scary how good he can be.”

Notre Dame certainly sees the potential as the Irish extended an offer to the Bristol Central High School star on Monday, the first day college coaches could reach out directly to 2022 prospects.

Chatman has known current Irish guard Corman Ryan well for years know and asked him to put in a word with Mike Brey.

Clingan’s recruitment is likely to blow up and he also added offers from Michigan State and Rutgers yesterday. He already had offers from schools like UConn, Syracuse, Georgetown, Boston College, Providence and UMass among others with more surely to come.

“This kid is as good as advertised and he’s the most humble kid you’ll ever meet,” Chatman says.

The Irish offer made an impact, according to Chatman.

“He loves it,” says Chatman. “He loves Notre Dame. Obviously, having Cormac, a guy I trust and a kid who I’ve known for four or five years is a good thing. He has somebody he can talk to within the program. Obviously, the schedule Notre Dame plays and the league they’re in is appealing to any kid who wants to play at the highest level.”

Whenever the current dead period is lifted, Clingan is likely to use the five official visits basketball prospects are granted their junior year, but those have yet to be decided.

“We’re definitely going to make our rounds to the Midwest schools; Notre Dame, Michigan, Michigan State,” says Chatman.

Chatman had been telling people he felt his 2022 team was one of the nation’s best for about a year now and is thrilled some of the nation’s top programs are taking note of Clingan and some of his other top players.

“It’s great that all of these kids get the recognition they deserve because they’re good kids and they work hard.”