Who is Adama Sanogo? Taking a close look at the personal life and collegiate career of the UConn star

Adama Sanogo was named the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player after leading the UConn Huskies to their fifth NCAA championship. It has been an amazing journey for Sanogo, who grew up in Bamako, Mali, and only started playing basketball in 2014.

Sanogo had 17 points and 10 rebounds in UConn's 76-59 win over San Diego State on Monday at the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. He also went 5-for-9 from the field and was 7-for-8 from the free-throw line.

"I just want to say anything is possible," Sanogo said after the game. "Just believe in yourself. Make sure you make the right decisions. Anything is possible. Just believe in yourself."

Adama Sanogo was born on Feb. 12, 2002, in Bamako, Mali, in Western Africa. Sanogo's parents are Cheickne Sanogo and Awa Traore. He has five older sisters and one younger brother, and his family all still lives in Mali. He's a practicing Muslim and can speak four languages — French, Arabic, English and Bambara.

His father owns a car wash business and his mother has a clothing store in Bamako. He grew up helping wash cars for his father's business, while also helping out on his grandfather's corn farm.

According to CTInsider, one of Adama's sisters is studying in France. His younger brother is studying in Italy and also plays basketball. However, it should be noted that Adama grew up playing soccer before learning basketball in 2014.

Adama moved to the United States in 2015 by himself to pursue a career in basketball. He started his high school career at Savior New American School in Centereach, New York. He transferred to The Patrick School in Hillside, New Jersey, a year later.

The 21-year-old big man was a four-star recruit coming out of high school. He decided to play for UConn despite offers from Seton Hall and Nebraska.

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Adama Sanogo's UConn career

Adama Sanogo of UConn

Adama Sanogo was one of Dan Hurley's top recruits in his first year as UConn's head coach. Sanogo earned a starting spot in Hurley's lineup in just his third game as a freshman and never looked back.

Sanogo had a good freshman year, averaging 7.3 ppg and 4.8 rpg. It was enough for him to be named Big East All-Freshman Team in 2021, but the Huskies were eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

In his second season, Sanogo added an offensive game. He averaged 14.8 ppg, 8.8 rpg and 1.9 bpg. He was named to the first-team All-Big East, but UConn didn't make it far again in March Madness.

However, it was a different story this season. Sanogo further elevated his game by averaging 16.8 ppg to help UConn win its first NCAA title since 2014 and its fifth one since 1999.