National Champions Dole Out Chicken Lunches At Enfield Restaurant

ENFIELD, CT — Less than 72 hours and about 2,600 miles from where he and his University of Connecticut teammates had hoisted the NCAA men's basketball national championship trophy over their heads for the second straight year, center Donovan Clingan jokingly pulled a similar move with a box of chicken tenders on a young fan who likely would not have been able to reach it if the 7-foot-2 sophomore had held it at chest level.

Still basking in the glory of the Huskies' 75-60 win over Purdue in the national title game Monday night, Clingan and teammates Tristen Newton and Stephon Castle made an appearance Thursday morning at the new Raising Cane's chicken restaurant in Enfield. The trio served up the franchise's signature Box Combo meals to hundreds of fans, who began lining up four hours prior to the start of the event despite rainy conditions.

While doling out the meals, the players obliged their admirers with autographs, photos and stories about the thrill of capturing the crown.

Castle. a 6-foot-6 freshman guard who scored 15 points in the title-clinching game, said, "The best part was just being able to be with the kids and interact with them and sign autographs."

Similarly, Clingan, a former standout at Bristol Central High School, said, "It was special to be able to interact with the fans and the kids, put a smile on their face and give them something to remember forever."

Neither underclassman would commit one way or another when asked about the possibility of declaring early for the NBA draft. Both are projected to likely be first-round picks should they forego their remaining college days.

Newton, voted the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four with 20 points in the championship contest and winner of the Bob Cousy Award as the top point guard in the nation, is a fifth-year senior who has used up his college eligibility. Some experts have forecast him to be a second-round draft selection.