Dame Sarr was the last piece to the puzzle of the Duke basketball offseason.
After much debate about how the team was going to fill that final key scholarship, it was Sarr who reemerged as a top contender to join the Blue Devils after his recruitment swayed between Duke and Kansas.
While Sarr brings a decorated international career to Durham and expectations of being a first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, there has been a lack of buzz surrounding him after the team ended its summer workouts last week.
Cameron Boozer, Isaiah Evans, Cayden Boozer, and others are gathering the most headlines entering the 2025-26 season, leaving questions about how much of an impact Dame Sarr can have this year.
Granted, there is an expectation that he will have to go through an adjustment period while getting acclimated to the college game despite his professional experience overseas, but his progress will play a large role in the overarching success of the Blue Devils this season.
At the moment, Sarr projects as the starting shooting guard for Duke but he could have an expanded role as a primary ball handler if Jon Scheyer’s plan with Caleb Foster and Cayden Boozer as the team’s point guards does not go as scripted this season.
With such a young roster and loaded non-conference schedule, a lot will be asked of the Blue Devil freshmen class early in the season in hope that they can get familiar with the intensity and pace of college basketball in time for conference play and much of that pressure will be on the shoulders of Cameron Boozer.
It will be up to players like Dame Sarr, Cayden Boozer, and Nik Khamenia to try and show early why this Duke team could replicate the success from a season ago.