HOUSTON – Adama Sanogo picked up a basketball for the first time as a 14-year-old soccer player in Bamako, Mali.
It wasn’t long before he was on a plane headed to New York, Madison Square Garden one of his first stops, and attending The Patrick School in New Jersey played his way to a Division I scholarship.
On Monday, Sanogo immortalized his legacy at UConn, leading the Huskies to a fifth national title with his fourth double-double of the tournament. The junior center earned Most Outstanding Player honors and solidified his name among a long list of UConn greats.
“He’s obviously cemented himself into the pantheon of the greatest big guys,” head coach Dan Hurley said. “With all the production and back-to-back first-team all-league, and now this, to have the national championship just puts him in a position in one of the most storied programs in college basketball. He’s an all-time great.”
Sanogo was critical to start the game, finishing highly contested jump hooks and shots in the paint to maintain San Diego State’s pace as the Aztecs made four of their first five shots. And, down the stretch, Sanogo made all six of his free throws to secure the title.
He averaged 19.7 points and 9.8 rebounds through UConn’s six dominant tournament wins.
“I had a chance to be in Final Four, and I definitely — I’ll remember it forever, and it’s something I will never forget in my life,” he said.
President Joe Biden invites Huskies
President Biden took to Twitter Tuesday morning to congratulate UConn on taking home the men’s national title and LSU for winning the women’s NCAA Championship.
“In a year when March Madness often lived up to its name, both our (champions) showed us the best of what this country can be,” Biden’s tweet from the official POTUS account read. “(UConn) returned to glory with a series of dominant performances that were often incredible to watch. Congratulations to the team for building a program that is set up to build on that success. And (UConn President Radenka Maric), maybe I’ll see you next time I’m back up on campus.
“We can all learn a lot from watching these champions compete — and I look forward to welcoming them at each of their White House visits.”
Hawkins has his moment
When San Diego State cut UConn’s lead down to five, 60-55 with 5:19 left in the game, Hurley drew up a play for his superstar sharpshooter Jordan Hawkins.
To that point, Hawkins was guarded tightly on the perimeter and, because the Aztecs knew his shot could start a landslide, rarely had any opportunities for an open shot. His one 3-pointer earlier in the game came from NBA range over two defenders, and he’d have to do it again in one of the biggest moments.
Nonetheless, Hawkins was able to receive the ball off a screen and pulled up, again with two defenders contesting his shot, and drained it.
Two minutes later, UConn had a 14-point lead and the game was secured.
“I think he has a great future in the NBA,” Hall of Fame UConn alum Ray Allen said in the team’s locker room after the game, before finding time for a private conversation with the projected first-round draft pick who idolizes him. “I’ve seen him grow over the course of the year. He’s got great confidence shooting the ball. What’s great about him, and even Joey (Calcaterra), they shoot the ball with such great confidence, even when they miss a previous, they don’t ever pull back.”
Shock and jubilation
Freshman Donovan Clingan, the kid from Bristol, stormed into UConn’s locker room in a pair of sunglasses and sat at his locker with his new national championship hat on backwards, a Final Four towel draped over his shoulders and chain he referred to as “big boy diamonds” hanging around his neck.
“I said Coach let’s go get No. 5,” the 7-foot-2 center recalled of his conversation when he committed to UConn. “But I did not think it would be my freshman year. Heck no, I mean, this is crazy. I don’t even know what to say, I’m sorry if I sound like an idiot or something, but like, this is unreal.”
At the other end of the room, redshirt freshman Alex Karaban stood in shock.
He had a feeling earlier in the second half, but it wasn’t until there was 30 seconds left when Hurley pulled him and the rest of the starters from the game and emptied his bench when Karaban knew he was a national champion.
“We won the national championship and it’s still crazy to say, honestly, and I just can’t believe it,” he said casually. “I couldn’t even win a national championship on 2k. But now I did it in real life. So you know, maybe I’m gonna try to go back to 2k later this week and try to win one now there.”
Before he has time for video games, there will be plenty of time spent celebrating.
“It means everything I mean, playing an hour away from home at UConn, adding to this history,” Karaban, a Southborough, Mass., native, said. “I mean, when we’re seeing Ray Allen, Emeka (Okafor), Rudy Gay walk around who’ve cemented themselves in history and not only myself, but everyone in this locker room cemented themselves in history too.
“Our banner’s going to be up there for the rest of our lives, we can come back, we can show our families when we’re done with basketball that ‘I helped with this banner up.’ And everyone can be so proud of that. And it’s a feeling that no one can take away from us, it’s a memory that no one’s going to take away from us and it’s honestly the greatest accomplishment in my life.”
UConn to play 2023 Empire Classic, 2024 Maui Invitational
Tuesday morning it was made official that the UConn men’s basketball program will compete in the Empire Classic Tournament next season at Madison Square Garden. Indiana, Texas and Louisville are also in the field.
And, also released Tuesday, the Huskies will make a trip back to Maui in 2024. Auburn, Colorado, Dayton, Iowa State, Memphis, Michigan State and North Carolina are also in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational field.
