“My ultimate goal is to play in the NBA”: Duke commit Dame Sarr reflects on his decision to join the Blue Devils

Weeks after losing Khaman Maluach to the NBA draft process, Duke landed another international talent, Dame Sarr. The Italian-Senegalese player announced his allegiance to the Blue Devils through an IG post on Thursday. The 6-foot-6 wing brings significant playing experience from his time with FC Barcelona in the EuroLeague and Liga ACB.

The shooting guard announced his decision days after visiting Jon Scheyer and his coaching staff for an official visit.

"My ultimate goal is to play in the NBA," Sarr wrote in his declaration. "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 against other players my age."

Dame Sarr brings a unique hooping background to Duke. Unlike most players who enter the D1 circuit through high school pipelines, Sarr has experience of playing against pros. He has also been an active part of Italy's youth international teams since 2022, participating in U16 and U18 formats.

Sarr is fresh off his debut with the senior team at FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Qualifiers. His addition helps the Blue Devils replace Cedric Coward. The guard was aligned to play for the program this season.

However, his draft stock skyrocketed during the combine, forcing experts to believe he might never play for the Blue Blood school.

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What does Dame Sarr bring to Jon Scheyer's roster?

Alongside international flair, Dame Sarr brings offensive versatility and ability to defend multiple positions, thanks to his athleticism. This flexibility will allow Jon Scheyer to run a variety of lineups and sets through games.

However, Sarr has mapped out the skills he wants to develop during his time with the Blue Devils.

"I think I want to work a lot on my shot and on my decision-making," he said during an episode with Duke Basketball (11:48).

"I want to really be a real, I mean not a point guard, but have real point guard skills. Being able to get my teammates open and being able to score the ball, being able to shoot at a high volume. So, I think those are things."

With Dame Sarr's inclusion, Duke now has the third-best recruiting class in the nation.