“I love him. Great kid, great worker, team guy, physical. He’s going to get better,” Coach Billy Donovan said of Adama Sanogo in late September to CT Insider. The 6’9 stellar power forward who went undrafted in 2023 was immediately signed to the team in July. Although he spent much of his rookie season with the Windy City, Chicago was only too aware of what the 22-year-old was capable of.

So, it wasn’t surprising that they locked him in for this season, and Sanogo did not disappoint. In tonight’s loss to the Bucks, the Malian big man was spectacular in 33 minutes—the most he’s played since making his preseason debut this year. Adama scored a team-high 16 points and grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds (a double-double in itself!) while shooting 6-of-10 from the floor (60.0%), 1-of-2 from downtown (50.0%), and 3-of-4 from the charity stripe (75.0%).

Born on 12 February 2002 in Bamako, the capital of Mali, to Cheickne Sanogo and Awa Traore, Adama Sanago was the sixth of seven children. He had five older sisters and one younger brother. Everybody who has watched him during his three-year stay at UConn would imagine he picked up the ball at a young age. He did pick up a ball, just not basketball.

Basketball was not Adama Sanogo’s first love

Soccer is more popular in Mali than basketball, so it was natural for Adama to gravitate toward the sport where legs are used to kick the ball, rather than hands. However, as he grew taller, a few of his friends suggested he try his hand at basketball. But it wasn’t until his uncle, basketball scout Tidiane Dramé, convinced him that he turned his attention to hoops.

Sanogo was 12 at the time. Even then, he wasn’t truly serious about the sport. “I was only thinking about studying in France because all of my friends were there,” he revealed to New York Post in early April, last year. But Dramé saw what his nephew could become if he applied his focus, dedication, and hard work to basketball.

The final straw was when his uncle mentioned that he could get a free education in the States if he chose basketball. Of course, the lifestyle of NBA players was also a significant selling point. Anyway, at 15, Adama Sanogo arrived in America without knowing a word of English. Since then, the hulking defender has done nothing but focus on perfecting his craft—something that Dan Hurley of UConn greatly appreciates.

Coach Hurley was in awe of Adama Sanogo and his “work ethic”

When the now-22-year-old first arrived in Connecticut, the Huskies were in the early stages of building a new culture under Hurley. And the UConn coach saw in Sanogo (and current Bucks guard, Andre Jackson Jr.) all the traits he planned to establish in the team.

“We were still trying to build a mentality, and I just think him and Andre Jackson Jr. coming into the program increased a level of seriousness and work ethic because these guys, they live in the gym,” he said. What really elevated everything Sanogo did to the next level was, perhaps, the kind of performances he showcased in the NCAA Tournament despite fasting during the daylight hours as a practicing Muslim.

This presented a huge challenge for high-performing athletes. Fasting meant completely abstaining from food and drink, including water. While one could rinse their mouth, they had to make sure to spit the water out. To keep his lips moisturized, Sanogo always carried lip balm. Along with him, two others—Hassan Diarra and Samson Johnson—followed this practice. However, neither could match the level of performance delivered by their teammate.

In fact, during the NCAA Tournament, Adama Sanogo averaged an incredible 20.2 points and 9.8 rebounds while shooting an astounding 68.1% from the field—all while fasting! For his contributions, the Mali native was named the Most Outstanding Player. Suffice it to say that Sanogo played a significant role in building that winning culture at UConn.

Coach Donovan hopes he can do the same for the Bulls, too. “I’m hoping that he can stick. We don’t necessarily have a lot of size, so there may be more opportunities for him this year,” he pointed out. We hope so too.