Hard work helps UConn's Adama Sanogo earn Big East Preseason Player of the Year honors
Oct. 19—NEW YORK — UConn junior Adama Sanogo learned the value of hard work from his family growing up in Mali.
During the summer, Sanogo would work with his father in the cornfield.
"All my siblings, all we do is work hard," Sanogo said. "My brother and sisters, we're still working hard. That's something we did when we were kids so we're used to it. ... It comes from my parents, especially my dad. If not for them, I don't think I'd be doing what I'm doing right now."
Sanogo's relentless work ethic and commitment to his craft put him in position to earn Big East Preseason Player of the Year honors, as voted on by league coaches. He's the first UConn player to achieve that preseason status since Rudy Gay in 2005.
"It means a lot to me," Sanogo said during Big East Media Day at Madison Square Garden. "There's a lot of players in the Big East, so if they picked me that means I did something. ... If I didn't work hard, I don't think I'd be preseason player of the year."
A 6-foot-9 forward, Sanogo was the only Husky to be selected to the All-Big East preseason teams that were announced Tuesday.
"Your feelings on individual awards for players, some of them hit closer to home than others," UConn coach Dan Hurley said. "It's one thing when an incredibly talented player just gets an award. But when a talented player with his level work ethic, his level competitiveness, his perfectionism, when he gets an award, I think you almost feel like there's one for the good guys because you know what type of effort that he puts into his career and he puts into us being successful at UConn."
Sanogo is looking to build on last year's superb sophomore season during which he averaged 14.8 points and 8.8 rebounds and earned All-Big East first team honors. He also finished as a finalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year award.
His workout routine remains basically the same. He regularly heads to the Werth Center practice facility for early morning workouts.
His teammates are happy to see Sanogo rewarded for his effort.
"He's the first person in the gym and last person to leave," sophomore Jordan Hawkins said. "He's a dog. He's a killer. He deserves it."
Junior Andre Jackson added: "He works harder than anybody and he works intentionally. ... He works on his game very diligently and he works on it with a purpose. And he works on the right things. You see him in a game and he's doing the exact same thing that he's working on in practice and pre-practice in the morning when he gets there."
Sanogo, who has potential to be an NBA lottery pick next June, is expected to take another jump this season.
Regularly practicing against 7-2 freshman teammate Donovan Clingan will prepare Sanogo for his battles with Big East big men like Creighton's Ryan Kalkbrenner, a 7-1 junior and All-Big East first team player.
"He helps me a lot," Sanogo said about Clingan. "WIth his wing span, there's some shots that I can't take against him because he's going to block it. I have to find a way to score around him because he's so tall and so big."
Sanogo also has been polishing his jump shot. Hurley is encouraging Sanogo to take a couple of 3-pointers in every game to help open up driving lanes and pull opposing big men away from the basket.
The junior forward missed his only attempt from beyond the arc in his first two seasons.
"I'm definitely shooting this year," said Sanogo, who's a team captain along with Andre Jackson.
While Sanogo has personal goals, he puts the team ones above everything else.
"I want to win a championship," Sanogo said.
