Barely an hour after the NBA draft lottery outcomes had been revealed to the world stay from Chicago, and only a few blocks away from the place the annual ceremony befell, Donovan Clingan and Stephon Fortress 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 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 quick listing of groups which can be almost certainly to finish up drafting them in June. It’s been fairly the journey for this duo—one that can have them stamped in faculty hoops historical past for eternity.
SLAM 250 that includes Donovan Clingan and Stephon Fortress is accessible 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 couple of.5 blocks per recreation this previous season, incomes him a spot on the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award Midseason Watch Listing, the 2024 NCAA Ultimate 4 All-Event Staff and a ’24 NCAA East Area Most Excellent Participant nod.
In the meantime, Fortress, a 6-6 freshman wing who averaged 11.1 factors, 4.7 rebounds and a couple of.9 assists whereas turning into a prime perimeter defender for the Huskies, made his personal imprint within the historical past books. He set a brand new Massive 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 Massive East Freshman Participant of the 12 months.
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 subjects.
SLAM: It’s been just a few weeks because you guys minimize 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, , for me personally, was one thing actually particular simply because there’s not too many individuals that would go round saying that they’ve finished one thing that particular. We did it in such a historic program that has lots of historical past, and it’s a spot the place it’s onerous 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 feel UConn is a particular place that can 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 achieved what I’ve achieved, and I’ll be endlessly grateful for my two years at UConn.
Stephon Fortress: I imply, truthfully, 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 good group that we had. We had an actual particular group. Like [DC] mentioned, 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 chance once more, simply because I noticed how onerous it was the 12 months earlier than, and we had been going to have a giant goal on our again, however after we bought again from Europe, we had like two weeks off and we got here again in for the beginning of apply within the common season. And you may simply inform the power and the need of everybody on the crew, everybody on the workers, everybody within the constructing, actually, simply needed to go on the market and win each recreation, each evening.
SC: Early within the season, I didn’t understand how 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 Massive 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 recreation however performed a significant function within the rotation on the 2023 nationwide championship crew. What did you be taught from that group that you simply had been then capable of apply to this previous season, once you turned a significant point of interest?
DC: Simply realizing the whole lot I needed to give each single day. I performed [in practice] in opposition to probably the most dominant large within the nation in Adama [Sanogo], who went into apply and into exercises each single day figuring out that he’s gonna get higher and figuring out that the crew was gonna want him that 12 months to make a giant bounce [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 bounce. I’ve to be a frontrunner. 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 make it possible for this crew wins.
SLAM: Steph, you bought thrown proper into the hearth regardless of being a freshman—you had been a starter from the very first recreation, and solely got here off the bench just a few occasions because of an early season harm. What was the early problem like for you?
SC: I imply, it was undoubtedly onerous at first. Positively one thing that it’s important to actually modify to and actually simply embrace. However I really feel like my teammates, they’d lots of confidence in me this 12 months and so they instilled lots 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 mentioned that NBA scouts believed you may have been chosen wherever between 25 and 40 within the draft that 12 months. Why did you suppose it was necessary to return?
DC: I knew I needed to mature as an individual, as a participant. I needed to develop my recreation in some ways. I solely performed 13 minutes a recreation final 12 months. I needed to go on the market and be a starter, attempt to lead the crew 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 which means quite a bit to me.
SLAM: Steph, do you keep in mind the second once 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 apply however I do know I used to be frying although, that’s the one factor I do keep in mind. I feel I used to be on the second crew on the time, too. So, that undoubtedly gave me lots of confidence going into it, particularly getting back from an harm.
SLAM: Are there elements of your recreation that you simply didn’t get an opportunity to showcase in faculty 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 slightly 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 amazing recreation plan for this crew. He all the time put us in the most effective place attainable and my crew 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 recreation to the following 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 amazing scheme for us and he requested particularly what he wanted for us to win a championship. And I believed we bought it finished. But when there was something, I’ll say capturing off the dribble, playmaking slightly extra on the ball and, , stuff like that.
SLAM: Steph, you set the Massive 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 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 quick time. However lots of that credit score goes to my teammates and my coaches. I really feel like they put me in an amazing place to achieve success in these video games. I simply needed to go on the market and simply be myself. I really feel like lots of credit score goes to them.
SLAM: You additionally turned the primary UConn males’s participant since Rudy Homosexual in 2005 to win Massive East Freshman of the 12 months.
SC: I wouldn’t say it was often only a aim for me, however it’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 mentioned, it’s a reasonably historic faculty. There’s been lots of nice names to return out of there, so simply to have my identify beside these guys and instilled in that historical past endlessly, it’s tremendous particular to me.
SLAM: Donovan, do you may have 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. After we had been on the way in which again from Europe, I keep in mind earlier than we overlooked of Barcelona—like, I don’t suppose 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 toilet. 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 sooner or later in apply—I feel [Donovan], he wasn’t having the most effective apply. He was sort of mad at himself. I need 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 one in every of his moments. He ripped his shirt in apply, punched the backboard, he began screaming. He was going loopy.
DC: I need to win [shrugs with a smile].
SC: It’s apply, although [laughs].
DC: It’s OK, I don’t lose.
SC: I don’t keep in mind the entire story. I do know you may inform the story.
DC: I imply, I get upset typically with how I’m taking part in, and if I’m not doing what I’m presupposed to do on the ground, I take it out on myself. And I put lots of stress on myself. I do exactly get pissed off at occasions—
SC: [interrupting Donovan] You ever seen any individual punch the backboard with out leaping?
DC: I simply need to win [laughs].
SLAM: When individuals speak 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 feel we could be up there as probably the greatest faculty basketball groups ever, as a result of if you concentrate on it, our solely video games we misplaced had been away video games, and one in every 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] bought harm.
DC: Simply to be remembered as one in every of, if not the most effective faculty 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 had been a brotherhood. Everybody beloved one another, and that’s going to be a particular crew. There’s nobody that’s going to be overlooked endlessly. 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 necessary to me.
Portraits by Joe Pinchin. Motion pictures by way of Getty Photographs.
