UConn star Donovan Clingan to miss 3-4 weeks with foot injury
UConn star sophomore center Donovan Clingan was ruled out for Saturday night's FOX Primetime Hoops matchup between the fifth-ranked Huskies and St. John's with an injury to a tendon in his right foot, the program announced Saturday.
Clingan, who will miss 3-4 weeks with the injury, according to Connecticut, played just 14 minutes in Wednesday's 75-60 loss at Seton Hall and exited the game less than four minutes into the second half with the foot injury.
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In the micro, Clingan being absent for tonight's game means UConn is shorthanded going up against Red Storm star Joel Soriano, the 6-foot-11 senior who is averaging 18.0 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. The senior captain for Rick Pitino has 32 double-doubles in the last two seasons, including four in a row. Only reigning national player of the year Zach Edey of Purdue has more double-doubles over that span.
In the macro, Clingan going down is tough for the sophomore, who looked as though he was beginning to hit his stride after he went off for 21 points and eight rebounds in a win over Gonzaga last week. This presses junior Samson Johnson into starting duties. He's averaging 5.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per game on the year, but does have three double-figure performances on the season and has shown major signs of progress in his third season with the program.
If Clingan is only out for 3-4 weeks, Connecticut should be fine when it comes to their Big East regular season title hopes. Their upcoming slate after tonight:
Following that, the Huskies meet Creighton and Villanova, but the point is that their upcoming window is not nearly as tough as how they'll close in the Big East.
UConn is undefeated at home this season.
John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him on Twitter @John_Fanta.