Illinois Basketball: Illini make top 10 for Adama Sanogo

In the midst of all the craziness going on in the world, the Illinois basketball team managed to make a top list for a recruit.

It is important for the Illini to have a plan after Kofi Cockburn’s sophomore campaign. I believe he is going to be heading to the NBA once next season concludes, so we need someone to replace him immediately. That someone could be Adama Sanogo.

Sanogo is a 6-foot-9, 250-pound center from Mali, Mali, but he currently attends high school at The Patrick School. He is rated as a four-star recruit who is the No. 49 player in the class of 2021 and the No. 7 center in the nation.

On Monday afternoon, Sanogo decided to release his top 10. The 10 programs that made the cut included Oklahoma State, Louisville, Auburn, Seton Hall, Pittsburgh, Memphis, Maryland, Nebraska, UConn and Illinois. That is quite an impressive list for this big man.

Looking further into Sanogo’s recruitment, it seems that he is trying to reclassify for the class of 2020. That means he could come into the program this upcoming season and be a dominating one-two punch with Kofi at the No. 5 spot. The reclassification seems more likely than not at this point, according to what I am seeing.

I love what I see out of Sanogo. He would fit seamlessly with the Illini roster. I love his length despite only being 6-foot-9. His wingspan has to be over 7-foot. It seems that he has touch around the rim as well. This is a huge plus when coming into the college ranks. Sanogo seems to be a little leaner and more athletic than Kofi too. That is exciting.

Illinois has a solid chance of landing someone like Sanogo. Brad Underwood has a solid history of developing big men. Sanogo is coming from The Patrick School, which is where Giorgi Bezhanishvili played at the end of his high school career. He will also be able to step into a starting role, at the latest, his sophomore season.

If we can get someone like Sanogo, the future of the frontcourt will be in good hands. This kid brings a lot of talent to the table. Now let’s land him and continue building.