HOUSTON — Within the minutes main as much as tipoff Saturday night time, Adama Sanogo goes to be targeted on extra than simply retaining Miami’s Norchad Omier off the backboard. The UConn heart might be trying to shortly eat meals and get fluids earlier than the ball is tipped.
Sanogo and teammates Hassan Diarra and Samson Johnson all observe Ramadan and due to this fact abstain from consuming or consuming from sunup to sunset.
“It is undoubtedly arduous as a result of, such as you say, it is my religion and that is one thing I did not begin doing this 12 months,” Sanogo mentioned Thursday. “I have been doing this since I used to be in highschool. I used to do it throughout AAU.”
“It is one thing I have been doing since I used to be little,” he added on Friday. “I simply need to do it.”
UConn’s Last 4 recreation in opposition to Miami on Saturday is not scheduled to tip till 7:49 p.m CT, which is about 10 minutes after the solar units. Sanogo advised ESPN he plans to drink coconut water and eat fruit within the minutes between sunset and tipoff.
“Clearly I can not eat nothing heavy,” he mentioned.
Ramadan started on March 22, so Sanogo, Diarra and Johnson fasted previous to their regional semifinal and last video games in opposition to Arkansas and Gonzaga, respectively. Whereas Sanogo admitted he was “a bit bit drained” in opposition to Gonzaga, he nonetheless managed to go for 18 factors and eight rebounds in opposition to Arkansas and 10 factors, 10 rebounds and 6 assists in opposition to the Zags. Diarra and Johnson got here off the bench in each video games.
“I believe I play higher once I’m fasting,” Sanogo added. “I really feel a bit bit lighter consuming nothing all day so I can run a bit quicker.”
UConn head coach Dan Hurley mentioned the late begin of the sport ought to present a noticeable distinction for Sanogo’s vitality ranges.
“For me as a coach, navigating it was extra like panic,” Hurley mentioned. “And I do not know a lot about eating regimen and diet and human efficiency. However we have an important power coach and athletic coach which were in a position to rise up with him early and get some meals in him. After which clearly the late tip time helps us extra.
“It was an even bigger problem out west as a result of we had been enjoying so early, and it was like actually in the midst of him in all probability being at his weakest by way of these issues. I believe it is in all probability the tip time is best-case state of affairs for us.”
Sanogo mentioned he initially debated not fasting throughout the NCAA event, however he seemed into Hakeem Olajuwon’s fasting within the Nineties whereas nonetheless sustaining his constant wonderful stage of play.
“That is one of many causes I am doing it,” he mentioned. “If he did it, why cannot I do it? I used to be eager about not doing it — ought to I do it throughout the event or wait till after the event — he is one of many causes I did it.”
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