NBA Draft Scouting Report: UConn's Adama Sanogo
Adama Sanogo
Forward | UConn
Height: 6'9” | Weight: 245 lbs
2023 Draft Age: 21.35
Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
Prospect Profile
One of the most underrated players in this class, the UConn center out of Mali is coming off of a fantastic junior season. Sanogo is still pretty young relative to his experience at the college level. He was a massive stock riser on the way to the Huskies’ championship run, proving he’s an efficient scorer.
Sanogo has incredible touch and is one of the best in this class around the rim. More of a traditional big, although undersized, he can also step out and shoot from beyond the arc. It was on limited volume last season, but between the 36.5% clip from deep and promising free throw shooting, it’s fair to be optimistic about his 3-point shot translating at the NBA level.
With that in mind, he’s best at using his strength in back to the basket scenarios, and is great at establishing position leveraging his lower body. Although he would have fit better in the league a decade ago, he could still make a significant impact in the right role in the modern NBA. After emerging as a primary contributor this season, Sanogo led the Huskies in both scoring and rebounding. He was a major cog in UConn’s offense, especially in year three. He has a strong frame at 245 pounds yet has a feathery soft touch inside of the paint.
He’s a skilled post scorer that has a good blend of power, finesse, and skill down low. Sanogo took a step forward last season defensively although he still doesn't project to be a good defender in the NBA. His production, skill, and success in college could be enough for a team to bet on him in the second round. Again, there are some defensive concerns as he’s not the quickest player, but Sanogo can likely play small ball center at the next level. If he can develop more forward skills, he could also play the four situationally depending on matchups.
Over the course of his third college season, the UConn big really emerged as an NBA prospect. He put up solid numbers in the regular season, producing 17.2 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. From there, he had a great showing in the Big East Tournament and then carried that momentum into the NCAA Tournament. In the first round, he put up 28 points and 13 boards against Iona as a primary scoring piece. In the next round, it was a performance that included 24 points and eight rebounds. In the Sweet 16 against Arkansas, Sanogo didn’t score as many points, but his 18 points came on 81.8% shooting from the floor as his efficiency was impressive. From there, he nearly notched a triple-double against Gonzaga with 10 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. He’s certainly not known for being a facilitator, but seeing this upside was impressive on the big stage.
When digging into the numbers, he Sanogo is truly being underrated at this point in the pre-draft process. With a few good workouts and interviews, he could solidify a spot in the second round.
Highlights
Draft Projection
Second-Round Pick in 2023 NBA Draft.
2023 Big Board
Want to know more about other potential 2023 NBA Draft prospects and where they might get selected? Check out our Draft Digest Pro Big Board.
Want to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest NBA Draft news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.
For a free account and access to Cerebro Sports, the largest Basketball Player Database in the world, sign up here.