UConn’s Clingan out 3-4 weeks with foot injury

• Jeff Borzello, ESPN Staff WriterDec 23, 2023, 02:58 PM ET

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  • Graduate of University of Delaware.UConn sophomore

Donovan Clingan will miss 3-4 weeks with an injury to a tendon in his best foot, the school revealed Saturday.Clingan suffered the injury early in the second half of the Huskies’ loss to Seton Hall on Wednesday, going back to the locker room and not returning. UConn coach Dan Hurley said after the game that Clingan had a sprained ankle, but Clingan went through an MRI to discover the complete degree of the injury.

“He didn’t have a ton of swelling, but he did have some pain,” Hurley said Friday. “He certainly wanted to go back in [on Wednesday] and after that it tightened up on him. We’ll see how he feels in the morning and then get the MRI scans.”

This is the 2nd substantial foot injury Clingan has actually suffered in recent months after suffering a foot stress at a September practice and missing the majority of the preseason.A 7-foot-2 center

from Bristol, Connecticut, Clingan is ranked No. 8 in ESPN’s NBA draft rankings. He supported star big guy Adama Sanogo last season and was pegged for a breakout campaign this season as a sophomore. Clingan is balancing 13.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.0 blocks this season, and had 14 points and seven boards in just 14 minutes versus Seton Hall before suffering the injury. He also had 21 points and 8 rebounds in a win over Gonzaga last week.Without Clingan, Hurley will need to lean on redshirt sophomore Samson Johnson, who has revealed flashes in a reserve role behind Clingan. He had 15 points and eight rebounds in a November win over Texas when Clingan was burdened foul problem and restricted to 13 minutes.No. 5 UConn(10-2, 0-1 in the Big East)hosts St. John’s on Saturday night.