Duke commit Dame Sarr reveals former Kentucky star who shaped his game

Jon Scheyer’s Duke Blue Devils added another major piece to their already stacked 2025 recruiting class, which is ranked No. 1 in the country. On Thursday, Dame Sarr, a five-star recruit and one of the top international prospects, announced his commitment to Duke.

Sarr is a 6-foot-7, 190-pound guard from Italy who played for Barcelona in the Spanish Liga ACB and EuroLeague.

Following his commitment, he spoke with the Blue Devils' assistant coach Emanuel Dildy on The Brotherhood Podcast about his decision and what he hopes to bring to Durham next season.

During the conversation, Dame Sarr spoke about the NBA players he has studied and tried to incorporate into his game.

"From the NBA, I really like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (former Kentucky star). I think we have a similar body type, and I just like the way he plays," Sarr told Dildy (Timestamp: 8:48). "I really like Jayson Tatum too — I love how he plays.

"From overseas, I really like Kevin Punter. I actually had the chance to play with him, which was unbelievable. I try to look up to a lot of players and take different things from each to build my own identity as a player."

Sarr added that he consistently watches films of different players and games after practice and tries to improve his game. He also spoke about watching Duke basketball last season and loving their style of play, which made his decision to commit to Duke even easier.

Dame Sarr believes Duke will prepare him for the NBA grind

Four players from Duke's 2024-25 squad are projected to be drafted into the NBA next year. Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, Tyrese Proctor, and Khaman Maluach are expected to hear their names called in the upcoming draft.

Sarr knows Durham's track record of sending players to the NBA, which factored into his decision.

"My ultimate goal is to play in the NBA, "Sarr told ESPN. "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. Opportunity, minutes, repetition -- this route is the best next step for me at this time."

Dame Sarr is the fifth player to commit to the Blue Devils this offseason. He joins Cameron Boozer, Nikolas Khamenia, Sebastian Wilkins, and Cayden Boozer.