UConn NCAA championship hero Adama Sanogo is going pro, declaring himself eligible for the NBA Draft on June 22 and signing with an agency, Octagon. He made the announcement on Instagram.
The 6' 9" forward was Mr. Everything for UConn in the NCAA Tournament, averaging almost 20 points and 10 rebounds per game as the Huskies blew by the competition on their way to the title. Sanogo, from Mali, was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
To this point, Sanogo's status as an elite college player has not led to a premium position on various online draft boards. ESPN currently ranks him 87th among eligible players. That spot would place him among rookie free agents, not as a draft pick. CBS Sports also ranks Sanogo outside its top fifty players. At this point, Sanogo is banking on actual NBA scouts seeing him in a different light.