Adama Sanogo after winning the national championship, NCAA Tournament MOP: 'Anything is possible'
UConn big man Adama Sanogo channeled his inner Kevin Garnett in his postgame interview following the Huskies’ national championship win against San Diego State. After being named the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, Sanogo quoted Garnett’s famous line that he used after the Celtics’ 2011 NBA title.
“I just want to say anything is possible,” Sanogo told CBS’ Jim Nantz. “Just be yourself. Make sure you make the right decisions. After that, I think everything is possible. I want to use this time to thank my teammates and my coaches (for) depending on me. If it was not for them, I would not be here right now.”
Adama Sanogo was a huge part UConn’s 76-59 win, finishing with a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds. The championship and MOP award were the cherries on top of a season full of accolades for Sanogo, as he was named first team All-Big East for the second straight season as well as earning AP All-American honorable mention honors.
Sanogo averaged 19.6 points and 9.8 rebounds across the Huskies six NCAA Tournament games as UConn won each contest by double digits. He also made NCAA Tournament history in the Final Four by becoming the first player to score more than 100 points and 40 rebounds in a single tournament, according to CBS Sports.
Sanogo has two more years of eligibility remaining after this season, so could return to help UConn defend its title in 2023-24. Before making that decision, however, he’ll look to savor in the moment after leading the Huskies to their fifth national title in school history.
UConn claims fifth national championship with 76-59 win against San Diego State
UConn was in control for most of the game, but had to fend off a late comeback attempt from the Aztecs on its way to the win. The Huskies entered halftime up 12 points and held SDSU at arm’s length for the majority of the second half but never quite put them away until later on.
The Aztecs found themselves down as many as 15 but battled back to cut the deficit to six with 7:37 remaining on a bucket from Darrion Trammel as part of a 12-3 run. They later got the lead down to 60-55 after a pair of free throws from Keshad Johnson.
That was as close as it would get, however, as UConn responded with nine straight points after that to bring the advantage back to double digits for good. That included a huge 3-pointer from Jordan Hawkins on the possession immediately following Johnson’s free throws.
With the win, UConn is now a perfect 5-0 in its national championship appearances. The Huskies won every game during their run to the title by double digits, becoming the fifth team all-time and the first to do so since Villanova in 2019. Their average margin of victory for the March Madness run was 20 points.