"He can be an elite defender": Jon Scheyer lavishes praise on Duke star Dame Sarr

Duke coach Jon Scheyer showered praise on Italian-Senegalese freshman Dame Sarr on the high level of maturity he's showing during the Blue Devils' practices this summer.

This caused the fourth-year coach to be excited about how the international recruit would fit in with the team in the 2025-26 college basketball season.

Scheyer appeared in Tuesday's episode of "The Devil's Den" podcast and expressed excitement about how Sarr plays on a high level during scrimmages. He expects the 6-foot-6 guard/forward to be an elite defender when he gets on the court in November due to the physical plays he learned in Europe.

"Dame has had a great attitude. I think he has these unique skills and talent," Scheyer said. (Timestamp 17:17) "He just has to figure out how to transfer that over to becoming a really good college basketball player right away. He can be an elite defender. I mean, a special defender."

Scheyer, who also played in the Spanish league before transitioning to coaching, admires Sarr's offensive and playmaking skillset. But he wants the freshman to figure out how to adapt to a different environment.

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Duke freshman Dame Sarr begs off from the 2025 EuroBasket Championship

Duke freshman Dame Sarr is highly focused on his preparations with the Blue Devils that he has to skip the 2025 EuroBasket Championship on Aug. 27-Sept. 14.

Italian basketball coach Gianmarco Pozzecco understood the situation, allowing the Oderzo-born guard/forward to concentrate on making the transition to Duke. Pozzecco noted that Sarr is welcome to play with the senior team in future tournaments as he's still a member of the Gli Azzurri.

The 19-year-old was part of the initial roster that started its EuroBasket training camp on July 23. He debuted with the senior squad in February and has played at the junior level.

Italy remains a formidable squad despite Sarr's absence. NBA veterans Donte DiVincenzo, Simone Fontecchio and Danilo Gallinari, plus a bunch of Europe-based stars, participated in the training camp.

Sarr, who chose Duke over Illinois, Kansas and Oregon, played for Team World at the Nike Hoop Summit in April. He tallied 17 points and four rebounds in 25 minutes in a loss to Team USA.

He will be part of the Blue Devils' top-ranked recruiting class, along with five-star recruits Cameron Boozer and Nikolas Khamenia. His size, defensive skills and international experience place him for lottery pick consideration in the 2026 NBA draft.