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The No. 1-seeded Huskies defeated the Purdue Boilermakers in the title game 75-60 on Monday night, April 8 in Glendale, Arizona, winning the program's sixth national title, with all coming since 1999.
There to see both impressive wins in person was Eversource electric field operations supervisor Bill Clingan, the father of Hartford County's own 7-foot-2, 280-pound center Donovan Clingan, a former star at Bristol Central High School. The team's impressive accomplishment was not lost on him:
"I feel like the luckiest dad in the world getting to watch Donovan play in the championship game for a second time," Clingan said of the win, adding, "Thanks to all my Eversource coworkers for cheering us, and UConn, on.”
Clingan had the chance to see his son put on a solid performance during his 31 minutes in the game, in which he scored 11 points and had five rebounds. Clingan also had one block during the championship game.
Because of his standout performances in both championship-winning seasons, Clingan, who hails from Bristol Central High School, is now projected as a No. 5 pick in Round 1 of the NBA Draft, according to a report by CBS Sports.
This projection was attributed to Clingan's defensive skills: "He's gone from surefire lottery pick to potential No. 1 overall," the outlet said.
Before Clingan joins the NBA though, he will get to celebrate the Huskies' win with the rest of the team. A "Welcome Home" rally for the Huskies will be held at Gampel Pavilion at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 9, according to the university.
Free tickets for the general public for the event can be claimed by clicking here.
Additionally, to make the win official, the sign along Interstate 84 in Tolland just before Exit 68, which leads to Storrs, has been updated to reflect the Huskies' sixth national championship win.
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