UConn center Donovan Clingan was diagnosed with a “foot injury” on Dec. 23 and will be out 3-4 weeks. This is the third injury for Clingan this season, but the St John’s game is his first missed game. For someone with first-round aspirations, this latest diagnosis is a huge setback in his preparation for the draft. It is also a huge setback for UConn’s ambition to repeat as national champions, especially with Big East play ramping up in the next few weeks.
What Donovan Clingan’s Injury Means for UConn
On Saturday in Hartford, we got a sense of UConn without Clingan. Backup center Samson Johnson took on the hefty task of replacing Clingan against St John’s, and did…OK.
He had 16 points on 7-10 shooting but only mustered up 4 rebounds. In his defense, St John’s ranks 2nd nationally in offensive rebounds with big man Joel Soriano leading the way. Johnson is very lengthy at 6-10/225–a favorable matchup for Soriano who has at least 30 pounds on him. Although Johnson held his own on the defensive side for a few possessions, Soriano had his number most of the game with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Johnson also finished with 4 fouls as he wrestled with Soriano all night long.
Johnson exceled in pick and roll scenarios and lobs to the rim. His length gives him an advantage in this aspect, as he is literally built for pinpointing the ball up high and slamming it home. However, unlike Clingan, Johnson cannot work in the post and has minimal spot up shooting potential. This is all due to his frame, as Dan Hurley implores him to be a mobile big who can finish at the rim. Johnson’s presence is enough for Uconn to beat the bottom of the pack Big East teams. However, against the Marquette’s and Creighton’s, UConn will have difficulty. The teams who have true bigs will get their way in the paint, causing UConn to have to settle for perimeter shots. The Huskies have shot 33% from three this season and went 5-18 against St John’s.
Now, UConn was still able to get the rock to Johnson in the paint–but again, these mostly came on lobs or pick and rolls. The Johnnies defended the screening Johnson horribly and could have won the game easily if they had better defensive awareness. There were one too many times when Johnson was wide open after a screen and had an easy lay in or dunk.
The Last Word
For the next month, UConn will be put through the ringer. These next few weeks may reveal if they are truly contenders, or just pretenders. Clingan or no Clingan, the 4 remaining starters need to wake up a bit, especially in the shooting department. Samson Johnson has a chance to prove his worth in an unforgiving Big East schedule and can solidify his role as more than “Clingan’s backup.” If he can leverage his length, there’s a strong likelihood he could thrive as a starter. If not, UConn may be off to a slow start in the Big East.
