UConn basketball star Donovan Clingan is ready for expanded role

And then the Big East schedule begins.

Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner, the two-time defending Big East Defensive Player of the Year. Villanova’s Eric Dixon, who’s had his way with the Huskies in the past. St. John’s Joel Soriano, who averaged a double-double last season and should improve even more under Rick Pitino. Even Georgetown has another Mutombo (Ryan, admittedly a far cry from his father, Dikembe). 

This is the roster of bigs that Donovan Clingan will be bodying up against in his first season as a starter. He’s ready.

“We’re playing against some of the best big men in the country,” Clingan said Friday, “but last year, I faced the best big man every single day.”

Indeed, Clingan went up against Adama Sanogo each day in practice. He took his lumps, admits he often got his butt kicked, but got exponentially better, to the point where he was one of the best big men in the nation last season as a freshman, even averaging just 13 minutes off the bench.

“After facing Adama last year, it got me better. Playing against these guys is going twao make me better. I’m excited for the challenge, excited for the battles. All those big men play on great teams, so I’m excited.”

Indeed, UConn has put together a whale of a non-conference schedule: Kansas, North Carolina, Indiana, Gonzaga and either Texas or Louisville in the 2K Classic. And all five games will be away from home, though three (North Carolina, Indiana and Texas/Louisville) will be at Madison Square Garden, the Huskies’ home away from home.

“You wish you had a great non-conference home game for the fans,” coach Dan Hurley noted. “But there’s no one in the country that’s playing five like we’re going to play in the non-conference. Especially considering none of them are home.”

Clingan will certainly be challenged going against so many good bigs. Ultimately, the 7-foot-2 sophomore from Bristol might be better than all of them.

The reason why college basketball is filled with good centers is because there’s not many places for traditional, back-to-the-basket big men in the NBA these days. Less than a decade ago, Dickinson, Bacot and Kalkbrenner may have gone to the NBA after their freshman or sophomore years. Now, they’re all veteran upperclassmen.

Clingan doesn’t figure to be in college ball as long. He’s a projected 2024 NBA lottery pick.

“There…