[The following scouting report is part of a series on potential 2023 draft prospects from Sports Business Classroom alumni.]

Adama Sanogo
Frame: 6’9″, 245 lbs
Position: Forward/Center
Team: Connecticut
2023 Draft Age: 21
Stats via sports-reference.com

Offense

Sanogo was one of the leaders of the NCAA Men’s Division 1 Basketball Tournament champion Huskies in 2023. His junior campaign saw him elevate his game to become one of the nation’s most efficient and effective post players.

He was at or near the top of several Big East leaderboards, averaging 17.2 points (No. 1) and 7.7 rebounds (No. 5) per contest while shooting 60.6 percent from the field (No. 5) with a 62.7 effective field goal percentage (No. 3).

Sanogo’s offense is centered heavily around the paint. His crafty footwork and soft touch around the rim make him difficult to guard when his back is to the basket. Despite being undersized for his position, his strength afforded him scoring chances against taller defenders.

But the real optimism for his offense translating to the NBA comes from skyrocketing shooting percentages outside the paint in each of his three college seasons. Sanogo went from shooting one combined three-point attempt in his first two seasons to making 36.5 percent of his 52 attempts in 39 games last season.

His free-throw percentages increased from 57.7 percent as a freshman to 68.6 percent as a sophomore and 76.6 percent as a junior. Sanogo’s offense could still be a project at the NBA level, but there’s reason for confidence within these figures.

 

Defense

Size and speed may be a hindrance for Sanogo in the NBA. He fits a common mold of undersized for a center but without the athleticism of a power forward.

He averaged 0.7 steals and 0.8 blocks per game during his junior campaign. And during his sophomore season, when he averaged 1.9 blocks, he had the lowest defensive box plus-minus of his college career.

Guarding modern NBA bigs generally requires size or athleticism, and Sanogo may not have either at the NBA level. To compensate, he’ll have to lean on his physical strength to get opposing bigs out of the paint altogether.

His Final Four performance against the University of Miami could provide a blueprint for NBA success. He had 10 rebounds and two blocks in that game, single-handedly altering the Hurricanes’ offensive game plan.

Looking Ahead

Sanogo is one of the most decorated college athletes in the 2023 draft. Beyond the NCAA championship, he won the tourney’s Most Outstanding Player award and All-Tournament First Team honors. He was named to the All-Big East First Team in his sophomore and junior seasons.

His resume speaks for itself and is enough reason for teams to give him a look in the second round. From there, developing a more consistent jumper and finding ways to impact the paint defensively without elite rim protection are his next steps to being an NBA contributor.