Italian wing Dame Sarr dedicated to Duke on Thursday, filling a crucial place of want for Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils. Sarr, a 6-foot-8 wing with a monster 7-foot wingspan, is a robust candidate to be a first-round choose within the 2026 NBA Draft due to his mix of athleticism, shot-making and defensive potential.
Sarr performed for Spain powerhouse FC Barcelona and is one other well-known face of the worldwide invasion coming to varsity basketball in 2025-26 to money in on the cash rush within the sport.
Thought of among the best 2006-born prospects in Europe, Sarr bolstered his profile whereas taking part in for Italy’s U18 squad final summer season throughout Fiba’s Eurobasket occasion in Finland. On the occasion he led the Italian workforce in scoring (13.4) and assists (4.7) per sport whereas ending second in rebounds (6.3).
This 12 months, Sarr performed with FC Barcelona and had promising moments within the Euroleague — the second-best league on this planet behind the NBA — earlier than leaving the workforce earlier this spring to play within the Nike Hoops Summit. On the occasion in Portland that includes lots of the high 2025 prospects from america in opposition to a world workforce, Sarr led the world workforce in scoring with 17 factors and earned principally rave opinions for his play within the sport and the week of previous practices.
“He is tremendous versatile,”mentioned a school coach who watched Sarr final summer season at a distinct occasion, in Finland. “He is actually athletic, an extended and rangy sort. He can play like one by way of three and is generally a driver/finisher sort man and is a very fluid mover.”
Duke’s choice to show up the warmth on Sarr was spurred by the rising probability that prized Washington State switch Cedric Coward, who dedicated to the Blue Devils earlier this month, wouldn’t make it to Durham after an infinite exhibiting ultimately week’s NBA Draft Mix in Chicago.
The thrill round Coward has reached fevered pitch, and he’s positioned to be a possible first-round choose in subsequent month’s NBA Draft. So, Duke pivoted to Sarr, who was on the verge of selecting Kansas earlier than the latest developments with Coward.
Scheyer constructed the tallest workforce in faculty basketball final 12 months, and he’s operating it again with an analogous roster-construction blueprint that options plus positional dimension all around the ground.
Duke is one in every of 5 high-major groups projected to begin 5 gamers who’re 6-foot-4 or taller.
Duke’s projected beginning 5
G Caleb Foster (6-foot-5)
Wing Isaiah Evans (6-foot-6)
Wing Dame Sarr (6-foot-8)
F Cam Boozer (6-foot-9)
F Maliq Brown (6-foot-9) OR Patrick Ngongba (6-foot-11)
Contained in the worldwide bonanza this offseason
The cash increase in faculty basketball is behind the pattern that is seeing worldwide stars flock to the states. Some faculty groups will pay as much as 10 instances what European golf equipment supply. The consensus is that faculty basketball has grow to be the second-best league on this planet, behind the NBA, so it is pure that faculty basketball roster-building has began to emulate the NBA’s scour-the-globe strategy.
Make approach for the Euro Invasion: Why extra worldwide stars are selecting faculty basketball over the professionals
Isaac Trotter
Worldwide golf equipment, particularly in Europe, are scrambling to determine methods to maintain expertise near house, however cash talks. The NCAA is scrambling to determine eligibility crimson tape.