Adama Sanogo named Final Four's Most Outstanding Player

UConn‘s Adama Sanogo has been named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player after leading the Huskies to their fifth national championship Monday night.

Sanogo scored 17 points and 10 rebounds en route to defeating San Diego State 76-59. UConn led the game for the entire second half and despite SDSU attempting a late comeback, held on to secure the biggest prize in college basketball.

Sanogo’s teammates Jordan Hawkins and Tristen Newton combined for 35 points to help the Huskies take down the Aztecs, but it was Sanogo who was in the limelight after the game.

Heading into the national championship, Sanogo was averaging 20.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. The two-time First-Team All-Big East selectee led UConn in scoring in half of their NCAA Tournament games and was their leading rebounder in every single tournament matchup.

Before Monday, Sanogo was also the star of UConn’s Final Four victory over Miami. He finished the game with a team-high 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting and 10 rebounds. After scoring his final basket, Sanogo became the first player in NCAA Tournament history to record more than 100 points and 40 rebounds in a single tournament, according to CBS Sports.

“He’s been the best player in the tournament,” ESPN’s Seth Greenberg said of Sanogo before the title game, calling him the key for UConn winning the title. “He’s averaging 20 points a game, he’s the second-leading rebounder, he’s shooting 68% from the field, and he had a game with six assists. He’s been the most dominant game player in the tournament.”

Sanogo was a four-star recruit out of the 2020 class, per the On3 Industry Rankings, which is a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services. He was the No. 73 player in his respective class and No. 12 power forward. He has lived up to his rankings and then some after Monday night.

One of the top players in college basketball this year, he earned first-team Big East and AP All-American honorable mention honors. He has now topped all of those accolades and has etched his name in the UConn basketball history books as the fifth Final Four most outstanding player in program history.

Sanogo’s has two more years of eligibility if he chooses to use them. There is always the possibility he turns pro, but has the opportunity to lead UConn to back-to-back national championships in 2024 if he chooses to return.