University of Connecticut Athletics
UConn MBB Up To #3; Clingan Again Freshman Of The Week
12/12/2022 3:48:00โฏPM | Men's Basketball
UConn Athletic Communications / Dec. 12, 2022
NEW YORK โ After two more impressive victories last week, the UConn men's basketball team has made another jump in the national polls, and gathered in another honor from the BIG EAST Conference.
UConn has moved up to #3 in both the Associated Press Top 25 and the USA Today Coaches Poll, released on Monday. The Huskies (11-0) were #5 in both polls last week. It is the highest ranking for the Huskies since they were ranked #3 on March 9, 2009.
After not receiving a first-place vote in either poll last week, UConn received 15 first-place votes in the AP Poll, which numbers 62 voters, and 7 first-place votes of the 28 voters in the USA Today poll. In both polls, the Huskies were ranked behind only undefeated teams Purdue and Virginia. UConn earned 1466 points in the AP poll, barely behind Virginia's 1476, and 677 points in the USA Today poll, narrowly behind Virginia's 683.
UConn went on the road to defeat Florida, 75-54, in Gainesville last Wednesday, then came home to thrash Long Island, 114-61, on Saturday.
With his performance in those two victories, UConn center Donovan Clingan was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week for the second time this year. ย
Clingan (Bristol, Conn.), who was also named Freshman of the Week on Nov. 28, had two outstanding games in UConn's wins last week, averaging 18.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.5 blocks per game and shooting an impressive 94.7 percent from the floor.
In UConn's win over LIU, the 7-2 freshman was 10-of-10 from the floor, equaling the second-best field goal percentage in a game in UConn history, scoring a career-high 21 points, to go with a career-high 11 rebounds to notch his second career double-double.
Combined with the two Freshman of the Week awards won by UConn Alex Karaban earlier this season, UConn has now captured the award four times in the five weeks since the season began.
UConn, which finished an undefeated non-conference season with the win over LIU, begins BIG EAST Conference play on Dec. 17, traveling to Indianapolis to meet Butler (7 p.m., FS1).
