Sanogo Ready for ‘Next Stop on My Journey’

The Story: The Most Oustanding Player of the Final Four, Adama Sanogo, said yesterday that he’ll be departing UConn to enter the NBA Draft, drawing his time in Storrs to a close after three illustrious seasons.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Sanogo, a 6-foot-9 center from Mali, was one of the Huskies’ lesser-known recruits when he stepped foot on campus before the 2020-21 season. Now, he’ll leave UConn as a champion.

• It seemed inevitable that Sanogo would head for the NBA, given that there’s not much more he can accomplish while in college. His development needs to continue in the pros under coaches who can routinely pit him against some of the best players in the world.

• Sanogo wraps up his career in UConn having scored 1,219 points, which ranks 34th on UConn’s scoring list, and grabbed 646 rebounds — averages of 14 and 7.4 per game, respectively. More importantly, he’s the first true success story of the Dan Hurley era and will probably be remembered as the player who put the Huskies back on the map given his NCAA Tournament exploits.

• He’ll join Jordan Hawkins, who declared for the NBA Draft earlier in the week, as two players who will begin their pro careers.

WILL HE BE DRAFTED? That’s a good question. Often, when players leave for the NBA, it’s because they can’t pass up the spoils that come with being a first-round pick. That’s not the case for Sanogo.

• ESPN has Sanogo as the No. 87 player in its NBA Draft rankings and the No. 9 center. When you consider that there are 60 picks, that’s not a good sign — but Sanogo still has the NBA Draft Combine and a variety of pre-draft workouts to join.

WHAT DID SANOGO SAY? “I am so excited for the next stop on my journey and proud to announce that I will declare for the 2023 NBA Draft and will stay focused on the process and giving myself every chance possible to hear my name called. I will always cherish my time at UConn and will always be my home away from home.”

ALLEYNE TRANSFERRING: It was one and done for guard Nahiem Alleyne, who entered the transfer portal yesterday afternoon and will enroll in another school in time for next season.

• Alleyne, who transferred to UConn after three seasons at Virginia Tech, averaged 5.5 points in 18.3 minutes per game for UConn this season. He averaged 9.7 points per game while playing for the Hokies, so the native of Buford, Ga., will surely find a home that can offer him more playing time and a larger role in the offense.

• And suddenly, UConn’s roster logjam seems to have already been eased, as the Huskies are only one scholarship over the limit for next season.

— Zac Boyer

Time For A Break …

We couldn’t have imagined when basketball season began in the fall that the Huskies would raise another national championship trophy — but that it would be the men, not the women, who did so.

This was our fifth season chronicling the Huskies for The UConn Daily, which launched on the eve of the 2018-19 season. It was, by far, our most rewarding. We’re sure that the sight of a trophy being lifted high into the air made it the same for you, too.

As is customary, we’re going to grind to a halt during the summer months, but we’ll pop back into your inboxes as soon as news breaks or other thoughts enter our heads.

Thank you as always for your support. It means the world to us.

— John & Zac

Morning Reads

• The No. 20-ranked baseball team (24-8, 2-1 Big East) heads to Xavier this weekend for a three-game set beginning this afternoon. (UConnHuskies.com)

• Winners of eight of their last nine, the softball team (25-11, 12-3 Big East) hosts Butler for a three-game series that opens at Burrill Family Field this afternoon. (UConnHuskies.com)

Top photo: UConn’s Adama Sanogo takes a shot during the game against Georgetown. (Ian Bethune for The UConn Daily)