UConn forward Adama Sanogo declares for NBA Draft

UConn is set to lose a valuable piece of their program to the NBA.

UConn forward Adama Sanogo has declared for the NBA Draft according to Jeff Goodman of Stadium. 

According to Goodman, Sanogo has signed with Octagon and while he hasn’t ruled out a return to UConn for next season, the expectation is to move onto the NBA.

The 6-foot-9, 240-pound forward averaged 17.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists this past season for the Huskies while shooting 60.6% from the floor and 36.5% from beyond the arc. He was also an All-Big East selection during the regular season.

During this year’s NCAA Tournament, Sanogo became a household name, helping the Huskies dominate their competition en route to their fifth national championship.

Over the course of the Huskies’ six tournament games, Sanogo averaged 19.7 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists a game. He scored 20+ points in three of six games and recorded double-doubles in four of six. Against San Diego State in the national championship game, he was 5-for-9 from the floor, totalign 17 points and 10 rebounds.

Despite his strong season and NCAA Tournament run, Sanogo has not yet seen himself propelled up NBA Draft boards. ESPN’s current 2023 NBA best available rankings has Sanogo as the 87th best player available in this year’s NBA Draft.

The 2023 NBA Draft is set for June 22 at 8:00 p.m. ET. Any early entry prospects in the draft will have until May 31 to withdrawal their name from the draft in order to retain NCAA eligibility.