Duke commit Dame Sarr to skip 2025 EuroBasket Championship with Italy
Sarr, born in Oderzo, was excused from joining the team this summer by coach Gianmarco Pozzecco to focus on making the transition to Duke. Pozzecco confirmed that Sarr is a player the organization would welcome back and consider for future tournaments.
The 19-year-old was among the players selected to the preliminary roster that began training camp on July 23, along with Donte DiVincenzo, Simone Fontecchio and Danilo Gallinari, among others. He debuted with the senior team in February and has also appeared at the junior level.
Sarr committed to Duke on May 22 over other programs such as Illinois, Kansas and Oregon. He split time over the past three years with Barcelona's first and second teams, becoming the second-youngest player to log minutes with the senior team in January 2024 (16).
The 6-foot-8 guard represented Italy on Team World at the Nike Hoop Summit in April, recording 17 points and four rebounds in 25 minutes in a loss against Team USA in Portland, Oregon. He was the second-leading scorer on the team, trailing only Baylor commit Tounde Yessoufou.
Sarr now joins the Blue Devils' top-ranked recruiting class for 2025, along with Cameron Boozer (No. 3), Nikolas Khamenia (No. 15) and Cayden Boozer (No. 23). He is considered a potential lottery pick in the 2026 NBA draft because of his size, experience and versatility as a defender.
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