There's a potential new star recruit that could be headed to Durham next season in international prospect Dame Sarr. The 6'7 guard out of Italy was recently reported to be headed to Kansas, but that has now changed, and the Blue Devils are heavily pursuing the recruit.
Duke was originally in the mix for the international star along with Kansas, Illinois, and Oregon. But, the buzz between Sarr and the Blue Devils fizzled out after 247Sports insider Travis Branham set a 100% crystal ball prediction for Sarr to land with Bill Self and the Jayhawks.
Eric Bossi also added to the Kansas hype, saying, "Sarr announcement should be coming soon and all indications are that Kansas is in great shape."
However, the tides have now turned as Branham has taken the crystal ball prediction away, and Duke is right back in the mix.
The Blue Devils were seriously connected to Sarr in April, but distanced themselves from his recruitment after landing star guard Cedric Coward out of the transfer portal. Sarr then went on a visit to Kansas, and all signs pointed to the star committing there.
With the crystal ball prediction removed, this could be an indicator that Coward is now leaning towards staying in the 2025 NBA Draft. After Coward entered the portal and ultimately committed to Duke over Alabama, his main priority remained on the draft. Originally, it seemed more likely that the former Washington State Cougar would come back to college basketball. But through stellar performances at the NBA Combine drills, it's looking more and more likely that he could remain in the draft.
If Coward does elect to remain in the NBA Draft, landing Sarr could be crucial for the Blue Devils. The program is in the mix for USC transfer Desmond Claude, but losing out on Coward would put a major void in the Blue Devils' rotation.
The program is bringing back Isaiah Evans, Darren Harris, Patrick Ngongba II, Maliq Brown, and Caleb Foster, but there isn't much proven elite production on the roster as of now, outside of Coward. Jon Scheyer is also bringing in top recruits Cameron Boozer, Nik Khamenia, and Cayden Boozer, but experience and production at a high level lack on the roster as of now.
The race for Sarr reopening could certainly be Duke presuming that Coward will remain in the draft, sparking the need for a replacement for the senior guard. Time will tell if the Blue Devils bring Sarr to Durham on a visit or remain cautious due to Coward's status.