The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Sanogo signs NLOI to attend UConn
It’s official: Adama Sanogo is a Husky.
Sanogo, a 6-foot-9, 240pound forward/center from Mali via New Jersey, has signed a national letter of intent with UConn. Sanogo, who averaged 13.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game for The Patrick School in Hillside, N.J. this winter, had committed to the Huskies on May 5.
“We are extremely pleased to have Adama join the UConn family,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said, in a release sent out by UConn. “He’s a warrior — the kind of young, talented, physical forward who we can mold into a high-level player. He’s received great coaching at the Patrick School from Chris Chavannes and he was challenged by top competition both there and with the New York Rens.”
Sanogo came to the U.S. from Mali as a sophomore and attended Our Savior New American School (Centereach, N.Y.) for two years before transferring to The Patrick School. Sanogo chose UConn over Nebraska and Seton Hall. He had told Patrick School coach Chris Chavannes in lateApril that he intended to commit to Seton Hall, but changed his mind after going on Zoom calls with Hurley and his staff.
“I picked UConn because I love UConn. I think it is a good school,” Sanogo told the media after making a verbal commitment. “Basketball-wise,
I picked it because they do a good job with big men. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time.”
“Physically, Adama separates himself from everyone else,” Chavannes said. “He’s extremely agile — he can go right and left, go by you, over you, and overpower you. He’s a vacuum on the offensive and defensive boards. Coach Hurley is a tough coach and Adama will embrace that.”
Sanogo played the past two seasons for the New York Rens AAU program.
“Great kid, literally,” Rens’ executive director Andy Borman told Hearst Connecticut Media. “Hardworking, very coachable. A really advanced rebounder — like, big-time rebounder. Inside of five feet, very skilled offensively. He can finish with both hands, go up and punch it on guys, go around them. And he’s spent the last eight months trying to grow his game away from being just a traditional, back-to-the-basket big.”
UConn’s 2020 recruiting class is now complete, with Sanogo joining talented 6-7 wing Andre Jackson and 7-1 Canadian center Javonte Brown-Ferguson. The Huskies also will welcome 6-6 guard Tyrese Martin, a transfer from Rhode Island who will have to sit out the season unless he receives an NCAA waiver to play right away.
“Adama completes an outstanding recruiting class that we expect will put us in a position to compete at a championship level,” Hurley said. “We are looking forward to the time when we can finally bring everybody to campus.”