It was an unforgettable day for some middle school students in Bristol.
Little did they know, they would get to meet UConn basketball star Donovan Clingan, and it was nothing but excitement as he walked through the gymnasium doors.
Clingan was back at Chippens Hill Middle School, his alma matter and old stomping grounds.
"Just to come back and see the old school, see everyone that was here when I was here, it's just a great feeling," said Clingan.
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It was a great feeling for students as well, who had no idea that the UConn center would be visiting, let alone showing off his moves on the court, answering students' questions, and signing autographs.
"I thought it was super cool, it was a really good surprise. When we walked in it was just like, 'Oh my gosh, Donovan's here'," seventh grader Liv Viens said.
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He was there just hours after playing at Creighton in Omaha, Nebraska, a loss that snapped a 14-game win streak for the UConn huskies. But Clingan was happy to spend a little time appreciating his past.
Clingan says his love for basketball started in middle school, and he wasn't much shorter either. Clingan says he was 6 feet, 5 inches in middle school. Today, he is 7 foot 2, and he looks back on his early basketball days with pride.
"My eighth-grade year, you know, I really started to love basketball and cared about taking it to the next level," Clingan said.
The teachers he looked up to, say they look up to him, literally and figuratively.
"I remember when he was on sidelines playing basketball he would get up and dance when his teammates would make baskets, and he just loved being here, and we just loved having him," said Katie Pepe, Clingan's former P.E. teacher.
His former basketball coach also called him a great teammate with a great work ethic and a real role-model for aspiring young students.
"It's just great to see that somebody from Bristol at that high of a level, and it gives them a chance to hope just like he did when he was young," Scott Chesmer, Clingan's former coach said.