Dame Sarr joined the Duke basketball program this offseason with a ton of hype.
He had professional experience with FC Barcelona, and many thought he could’ve been a first-round selection in the 2025 NBA Draft had he entered his name instead of playing college basketball.
With that, the expectations were that he would be a lottery pick after one season with the Blue Devils but that has not come to fruition. In ESPN’s latest mock draft, Sarr is projected to be the No. 36 overall pick.
His offense has struggled at Duke but recently he has found a groove on the defensive side of the floor, earning more minutes and shutting down the opponent’s best player.
In 20 total games, he’s scored in double figures only three times – most recently on January 3 against Florida State – and taken three or fewer shots in each of Duke’s last three games.
Given his draft projections, and the all-important money aspect in today’s college basketball, it feels vital that Jon Scheyer and his coaching staff find a way to keep Dame Sarr in Durham for his sophomore season.
It’s still cloudy as to what other players could return to Duke next season, given the team’s deep and talented recruiting class, but it feels certain that Cameron Boozer, Isaiah Evans, and Patrick Ngongba will test the NBA waters.
There could be a void of leadership and experience on the Blue Devil roster entering 2026-27 and Sarr, with an improvement in his offensive game, could step up and be the one of the go-to guys for the team next season.
As for now, he will continue to try and be a defensive anchor for Duke and help lead one of the best defenses in the country capture another ACC Championship and make a run at the National Championship in the NCAA Tournament.