Duke lands top international prospect Dame Sarr, who flashed in front of NBA scouts at Nike Hoop Summit
The top international basketball prospect in the world is heading to Duke. Dame Sarr, who excelled in front of NBA scouts at the Nike Hoop Summit in April, will attend Duke next season in hopes of eventually reaching the NBA, he told ESPN.
Sarr, 18, called Duke his dream school, and said there was no better place for him to prepare for the NBA, per ESPN.
"My ultimate goal is to play in the NBA," Sarr said. "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."
Sarr started his professional career at age 16 in the Spanish ACB league in 2023. He played for Barcelona, where he became the second-youngest player to debut for the club. Sarr, who is from Italy, also played for the Italian senior national team last year.
In April, Sarr attended the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Oregon. Sarr, who is listed as a 6-foot-8 wing, started for Team World. He turned in a strong performance against star high-school players from the United States, dropping 17 points, 4 rebounds and a steal in the 124-114 loss to Team USA.
The decision to play in the event caused controversy, as Sarr reportedly attended the event without Barcelona's approval. The team reportedly was on board with Sarr attending the event early in the season, but changed course after he emerged as an important player on the roster.
Sarr told ESPN he didn't think it was right to pull out of the event, and attended the Nike Hoop Summit anyway. A few days after the event, Barcelona and Sarr released a joint statement announcing Sarr would not play for the club the rest of the season.
Sarr said it was an amicable decision, telling ESPN, "We ended everything on great terms, and I still love Barcelona."
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