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    UConn's Adama Sanogo Named 2023 NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player

    Timothy Rapp@@TRappaRTX.com LogoFeatured Columnist IVApril 4, 2023

    HOUSTON, TEXAS - APRIL 03: (EDITOR'S NOTE: This image was captured using a remote camera.) Adama Sanogo #21 of the Connecticut Huskies looks for a rebound against Matt Bradley #20 of the San Diego State Aztecs during the first half of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament National Championship game at NRG Stadium on April 03, 2023 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
    Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images

    Adama Sanogo had a superb March, leading UConn to a national championship with Monday's 76-59 win over San Diego State.

    So it was hardly a surprise when he was named the men's NCAA tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

    Sanogo put up 17 points and 10 boards in the title game, his fourth double-double of the tourney. In total he averaged 19.6 points and 9.8 rebounds across six tournament games in UConn's run to its fifth national championship, all since 1999.

    CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 @CBSSportsCBB

    SANOGO SAYS NO ❌ <a href="https://twitter.com/UConnMBB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UConnMBB</a> <a href="https://t.co/XL8WDdp7J3">pic.twitter.com/XL8WDdp7J3</a>

    CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 @CBSSportsCBB

    Sanogo with the tough putback 😤 <a href="https://twitter.com/UConnMBB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UConnMBB</a> <a href="https://t.co/MmKSgZQhcg">pic.twitter.com/MmKSgZQhcg</a>

    Matt Norlander @MattNorlander

    For the fifth time in 25 seasons, UConn has won the national championship. <br><br>The Huskies won EVERY game against non-con foes this season by double digits and by an average of 24+ points. INSANE.<br><br>It's one of the most dominant title sprints in history. <br><br>A Connecticut coronation.

    Sam Vecenie @Sam_Vecenie

    Think UConn built basically a perfect modern college basketball team. Enormous across the board. Great floor-spacing. Fast on defense. Elite rim protection. Elite rebounding. Then the coaching staff built a perfect scheme with multiple ways to beat you on both ends.

    Suffice to say, his dominance didn't go unnoticed:

    Bleacher Report @BleacherReport

    Adama Sanogo 📈 <a href="https://t.co/Uuxu4071FN">pic.twitter.com/Uuxu4071FN</a>

    Kris Johnson @PointForwardPro

    I thought LeDee was strong until I saw him run into that wall of a human being in Sanogo <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NationalChampionship?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NationalChampionship</a>

    Adi Joseph @AdiJoseph

    Adama Sanogo is 100% an NBA-caliber center. But as many things as he does well, he's got to get lighter on his feet in switches onto point guards.

    Nick Mercadante @NMercad

    Adama Sanogo is so awesome. I really hope he gets a chance to shine at the next level.

    Dick Weiss @HoopsWeiss

    UConn 6-9 Adama Sanogo has 17 and 10, has influenced this game more than anyone with his play at both ends. he' s NBA ready.

    Law Murray ❎️ @LawMurrayTheNU

    Adama Sanogo with 17/10 in the title game. Center on a UConn team that shut down San Diego State's offense. Got his mini-Emeka Okafor on

    And Sanogo, a practicing Muslim, did all of it while fasting from dawn to dusk for Ramadan. But maybe it shouldn't be a surprise that a player who didn't come to the United States until 2017 to pursue a potential basketball career would thrive even while fasting.

    "For a guy that's only been playing basketball for six years, he's a sponge," UConn coach Dan Hurley told reporters over the weekend. "His work ethic is off the charts. He watches tons of film. He's learned a lot of basketball concepts."

    Sanogo, who grew up in Mali, had originally wanted to play soccer. He nearly chose to go to France for college. Basketball proved to be the right choice.

    "I never thought I would become a college basketball player," he admitted, per the New York Post's Zach Braziller. "I was only thinking about studying in France because all of my friends were there."

    UConn's Adama Sanogo Named 2023 NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player
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    "I'll be in my room thinking, 'Damn, what if I went to France, what if I didn't come to the United States,'" he added. "That showed me, don't just say no to everything. I can't believe it. I almost didn't want to come here. I'm playing on a big stage like this, it's something I'll appreciate for the rest of my life."

    And now he'll forever be immortalized in the history of college basketball as the 2023 Most Outstanding Player.