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The Duke basketball team picked up a massive commitment on Thursday as five-star Italian standout Dame Sarr announced that he will play for Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils. Duke is losing a lot of good talent from their Final Four team, and that includes soon-to-be #1 NBA Draft pick Cooper Flagg. Replacing that talent with a player like Sarr is huge for the Blue Devils.
“NEWS: Dame Sarr has committed to Duke, he told ESPN,” Jonathan Givony said in a post. “The 6'8 Italian wing is a projected first-round pick in 2026.”
Dame Sarr is a five-star recruit, according to 247Sports. He showed interest in Kansas, Oregon and Illinois, but he ended up choosing the Duke basketball team.
After watching a lot of Duke basketball and even playing with former Blue Devil Jabari Parker, Sarr knew what he had to do.
“Duke was my dream school,” Sarr said, according to an article from ESPN. “I watched a lot of NCAA games this season, especially Duke. I played with Jabari Parker this season, who went to Duke. When I had the chance to go there, I had to take it.”
Like most young basketball stars, Sarr wants to make it to basketball's biggest stage. He has seen the type of talent that Duke has sent to the NBA, and he wants next.
“My ultimate goal is to play in the NBA,” Sarr added. “There's no better place to prepare you for that than Duke. For me to be as NBA-ready as possible, and become the best version of myself, I needed to have both experiences – playing for a pro team like Barcelona, and playing in a different type of professional environment like Duke against other players my age. Opportunity, minutes, repetition — this route is the best next step for me at this time.”
Sarr knows that he is going to fit in well with Duke because of the players that are leaving. The Blue Devils always have a lot of talent to replace because they are constantly sending guys to the next level.
“Duke is losing Kon Knueppel and Tyrese Proctor — who have a similar playing style as me,” Sarr said. “My winning mentality and ability to play alongside other good players, while creating shots for myself and others, will help me, along with my offense and defensive versatility. It's a talented roster. We need the pieces to fit in well.”
Dame Sarr is no stranger to the big stage as he has been playing some high-level basketball in Europe. Sarr has been playing for Barcelona in the Spanish ACB league, and he also made his debut with the Italian national team in November.
“I'm very grateful for this season,” Sarr said. “I improved a lot as a player and person. My teammates and some of the coaching staff were great to me. It's because of them that I get this opportunity. They are a part of my growth and I appreciate them for that.”
Sarr caught the eye of NBA scouts at the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland last month. However, it did create some controversy with Barcelona. After originally agreeing to let him go, the team changed course after Sarr became an important part of the team. It sounds like everything is squared away, though.
“We had an agreement to allow me to go to Hoop Summit,” Sarr said. “I didn't feel it was right to withdraw from the game after having accepted the invite based on their approval. My teammates supported me in my decision, this is already in the past, we ended everything on great terms, and I still love Barcelona.”
That journey is almost over for Dame Sarr, and his next one will be with the Duke basketball team.
