By Michael Letendre
For the second straight scholastic season, Bristol Central’s Donovan Clingan was again named Gatorade’s Connecticut Boys Basketball Player of the Year.
In the 37th year in honoring the top scholastic athletes, Clingan has earned the award for 2021-22, collecting the honor over back-to-back campaigns.
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the court, distinguishes Clingan as Connecticut’s best high school boys basketball player.
And that means, also for the second straight year, Clingan is a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year award to be announced later this month.
The award is just one of many Clingan is in line to earn this year, along with a CIAC Division II Championship on Saturday if top-ranked Central can defeat No. 2 Northwest Catholic.
“Clingan is the most dominant player that I have seen in the last 20-plus years of my involvement as a Connecticut high school player, official and coach,” said Lewis Mills head coach Ryan Raponey. “He completely changes the game when you play against Bristol Central. He runs the floor, he can step outside the lane offensively and completely dominates the game defensively.”
The two-time Gatorade Player of the Year, the 7-foot-2, 260-pound senior led the Rams to a 27-0 record to date, the No. 1 seed in the Division II state tournament helped his team earn the number one ranking in the GameTimeCT poll — a position the Rams have enjoyed the entire season.
Clingan led the Bristol Central boys basketball team to the 2021-22 CCC South and the CCC Tournament Championships and the program is currently on a 42-game winning streak — the longest in the state.
The All-Stater averages 30.4 points, 18.4 rebounds, 6.1 blocks, and 3.1 assists-per-game this year, putting together a tremendous package on the court.
Clingan’s best two games this season have come against the state’s top programs as the senior dropped in a school-record 51 points against Windsor on Feb. 10 while sizzling for 45 points and 28 rebounds as the Rams defeated Northwest Catholic in the CCC title bout from Enfield on March 3.
But there’s more to Clingan than just points, rebounds and rejecting shots on the court.
The future University of Connecticut men’s basketball center has volunteered locally at basketball clinics with the Bristol Boys & Girls Club and on behalf of the Cambridge Park Youth Sports Clinic.
He has also donated his time as a Bristol Central “Rambassador,” helping incoming freshmen acclimate to high school while maintaining a 3.5 GPA in the classroom.
Other recent Gatorade Connecticut Boys Basketball Players of the Year includes Micawber Etienne (2019-20, Suffield Academy), Tre Mitchell (2018-19, The Woodstock Academy, and Jaiden Delaire (2017-18, Loomis Chaffee School).
