There have not been many negatives with the Duke basketball team through ten games of its season but one area for concern has been the slow development of freshman Dame Sarr.
Sarr arrived in Durham this summer after playing professionally with FC Barcelona as many predicted he would have been a first-round selection in the 2025 NBA Draft had he been eligible to enter.
Still, there was an overwhelming consensus that he would be a top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, but things have not gone according to plan for him to begin his college career.
The 6-foot-8 wing from Italy is only averaging 6.4 points per game and has not scored more than eight points in Duke’s five games against power conference competition. He went scoreless in the Blue Devils win over Florida last week, only taking one shot in the game.
However, despite the stat line, Sarr took a step in the positive direction in Duke’s road victory against Michigan State. He only scored four points in the game – all of which came in the first half – but the true improvements can be seen beyond the box score.
Most notably, he was on the court late in the second half – something he has not been in Duke’s games against Kansas, Arkansas, and Florida. Despite missing two shots inside the final five minutes against the Spartans, the fact that he was willing to attempt the shots is a major positive for Dame Sarr.
In previous games, he looked unsure of himself and uncomfortable with the ball in his hands. Even though there was not a high volume of shots, and he missed a layup and 3-pointer he needs to regain his confidence in the big moments.
This was all building off of a first half in which Sarr was aggressive in his decision making, helping Duke when nobody was able to step up and lead its offense.
There is still a long way to go for Dame Sarr and perhaps the extended time off in December will allow him to get more comfortable within the Blue Devils system because Duke will need him to be a threat entering conference play in January.