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 came about, Donovan Clingan and Stephon Fortress 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 flooring 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 supplies a calmness impact after the ruckus from the earlier hour, when each gamers discovered the brief listing of groups which are almost certainly to finish up drafting them in June. It’s been fairly the journey for this duo—one that may have them stamped in school hoops historical past for eternity.
SLAM 250 that includes Donovan Clingan and Stephon Fortress is out there 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 sport this previous season, incomes him a spot on the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award Midseason Watch Record, the 2024 NCAA Remaining 4 All-Match Group 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 changing into a high perimeter defender for the Huskies, made his personal imprint within the historical past books. He set a brand new Large 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 Large 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 a number of weeks because you guys minimize down the nets and made historical past, going back-to-back as nationwide champs. Now that you just’ve had a while to course of all of it, how do you place 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 finished one thing that particular. We did it in such a historic program that has plenty of historical past, and it’s a spot the place it’s arduous 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 believe UConn is a particular place that may at all times 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 perpetually grateful for my two years at UConn.
Stephon Fortress: I imply, actually, it actually nonetheless doesn’t even really feel actual to me. I solely received as soon as, I can solely think about what it looks like for DC. Simply the entire expertise was tremendous, tremendous enjoyable.
It actually was a blessing simply to be on the market with the nice group that we had. We had an actual particular group. Like [DC] stated, it’s positively a second house for me.
SLAM: At what particular level within the season do you bear in mind feeling like y’all had a very 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 spotted how arduous it was the 12 months earlier than, and we had been going to have an enormous goal on our again, however after we obtained 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 could possibly simply inform the power and the need of everybody on the group, 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 understand how good we had been. I imply, we at all times 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 concerning the midpoint of the season, in all probability like the place the Large 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 serious position within the rotation on the 2023 nationwide championship group. What did you study from that group that you just had been then in a position to apply to this previous season, once you turned a serious point of interest?
DC: Simply realizing the whole lot I needed to give each single day. I performed [in practice] towards essentially the most dominant large within the nation in Adama [Sanogo], who went into follow and into exercises each single day understanding that he’s gonna get higher and understanding that the group was gonna want him that 12 months to make an enormous soar [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 an enormous soar. 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 day trip, simply to be sure that this group 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 number of instances on account of an early season damage. What was the early problem like for you?
SC: I imply, it was positively arduous at first. Positively one thing that you must actually modify to and actually simply embrace. However I really feel like my teammates, that they had plenty of confidence in me this 12 months they usually instilled plenty of confidence in myself. So, simply going on the market, simply trusting my work that I put in and simply understanding that the coaches consider in what I do.
SLAM: Donovan, you determined to return to school with out even testing the NBA waters in 2023. A reporter afterward stated that NBA scouts believed you could possibly have been chosen wherever between 25 and 40 within the draft that 12 months. Why did you assume it was necessary to return?
DC: I knew I needed to mature as an individual, as a participant. I needed to broaden 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 group to a different nationwide title and I simply needed to go play for UConn. I like Coach [Dan] Hurley, I like that workers, I 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 rather a lot to me.
SLAM: Steph, do you bear 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 individual at an elite degree?
SC: I don’t bear in mind the precise follow however I do know I used to be frying although, that’s the one factor I do bear in mind. I believe I used to be on the second group on the time, too. So, that positively gave me plenty of confidence going into it, particularly getting back from an damage.
SLAM: Are there elements of your sport that you just didn’t get an opportunity to showcase in school as a result of the group didn’t want you to, that you just’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 somewhat extra, play off the dribble, actually simply working that midrange sport and setting the pick-and-pops and simply roll to the rim, lobs. You understand, Coach Hurley had an amazing sport plan for this group. He at all times put us in the perfect place attainable and my group 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 subsequent degree and succeed on the highest degree.
SC: I imply, in all probability simply being on the ball extra, taking extra pictures, 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 obtained it finished. But when there was something, I’ll say capturing off the dribble, playmaking somewhat extra on the ball and, you realize, stuff like that.
SLAM: Steph, you set the Large 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 identify subsequent to these high-level kind of fellows. You understand, I really feel like that meant rather a lot for my profession and what my legacy was at UConn for that brief time. However plenty 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 plenty of credit score goes to them.
SLAM: You additionally turned the primary UConn males’s participant since Rudy Homosexual in 2005 to win Large East Freshman of the 12 months.
SC: I wouldn’t say it was recurrently only a aim for me, nevertheless it’s positively at the back of your head as you’re enjoying. It’s one thing that you just sort of shoot for. So, like DC stated, it’s a fairly historic faculty. There’s been plenty of nice names to come back out of there, so simply to have my identify beside these guys and instilled in that historical past perpetually, it’s tremendous particular to me.
SLAM: Donovan, do you could have an off-the-court story of Stephon that you just’d say completely displays his persona when the cameras aren’t rolling?
DC: I imply, Steph likes to nap. He likes to sleep. After we had been on the best way again from Europe, I bear in mind earlier than we overlooked 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 in the future in follow—I believe [Donovan], he wasn’t having the perfect 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 at all times known as him “Cling Kong,” so I really feel like that was one in all 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 bear in mind the entire story. I do know you’ll be able to inform the story.
DC: I imply, I get upset generally with how I’m enjoying, and if I’m not doing what I’m presupposed to do on the ground, I take it out on myself. And I put plenty of stress on myself. I do exactly get annoyed at instances—
SC: [interrupting Donovan] You ever seen someone punch the backboard with out leaping?
DC: I simply wish to win [laughs].
SLAM: When individuals speak concerning the 2023-2024 UConn Males’s group 10, 20 years from now, what do you hope they are saying when it comes to your legacy?
SC: I believe we may be up there as top-of-the-line school basketball groups ever, as a result of if you consider it, our solely video games we misplaced had been away video games, and one in all them, we didn’t even have our full group. [Actually], two of them—one sport I used to be harm after which one sport [DC] obtained harm.
DC: Simply to be remembered as one in all, if not the perfect school basketball group ever. There was a bunch of fellows 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 cherished one another, and that’s going to be a particular group. There’s nobody that’s going to be overlooked perpetually. 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 images through Getty Photos.