“I'll tell you what, he certainly put his name on a lot of draft boards in these last couple months because [of] where he was last year compared to today,” Allen, a Naismith Hall of Famer, said on court as Dan Hurley and UConn were celebrating the school's fifth NCAA championship Monday night.
“I don't know what his thoughts are as far his future, but he certainly will be drafted. And the way the NBA game is played, he showed in this tournament that he can make threes.”
In the national semifinals against Miami, a wide-open Sanogo hit two early 3-pointers to help stake the Huskies to an early lead.
“That's what is making him more attractive because he's capable,” Allen said.
Sanogo is not on any major mock drafts, and has yet to announce his plans for next season. With 7-2 freshman Donovan Clingan destined for a bigger role if he opts to return for his sophomore season, it remains unclear if he and Sanogo can — or will — team up again next season.
“I don't think he gets drafted,” one NBA scout said of Sanogo. “He might go very late in second round off of production alone. But I'm really betting against him getting drafted. If the NLI money is good he should go back.” As a foreign-born player, Sanogo is ineligible to earn NIL money on the U.S., but he can earn it overseas.
Said a second NBA scout of Sanogo: “I think he's not being talked about enough. It'll come down to his measurables if he decides to test.”
Added a third scout: “I would say the best thing that he should do is test the waters and see where his stock stands. I cannot imagine that his value will be any higher this time of the year than it is now based on what he did over the past few weeks so it might be best to just ride it out in that regard.
“I'm not sure he gets drafted but I could see him getting a Two-Way contract and if he finds himself in the right spot and with the right team, [he could] receive the chance to turn that Two-Way into a roster spot on an NBA team, as long as he continues to improve his jumper and ball screen defense.”
