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Duke Freshman Quickly Developing Into a Star
Nov 11, 2025; West Point, New York, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard/forward Dame Sarr (7) tries to get past Army Black Knights forward Jorn Everson (54) and guard Jaxson Bell (4) during the second half at Christl Arena. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images Danny Wild-Imagn Images

Duke's 114-59 victory over Army in West Point on Veterans Day improved the Blue Devils to 3-0 on the young season. Jon Scheyer managed to get his team to overcome another sluggish start and pull away for the team's largest margin of victory this season.

The Blue Devils were very efficient on the floor. They shot 56.9% from the field and 43.2% from long distance in the rout. That also included 29 trips to the charity stripe, which is proving to be a strength for Duke so far. Scheyer has not been afraid to rotate his bigs down low and get aggressive toward the bucket.

It shouldn't come as a surprise that Duke dominated this game, given the clear talent differential, but it's worth noting how the team performs in these spots before bigger matchups like the Blue Devils have against No. 25 Kansas next week.

Notably, Duke crushed Army on the glass, 48-27, and came out aggressive from beyond the arc. 22 of Duke's 35 shots in the first half were 3-pointers. It could have just been Scheyer experimenting with different looks, but it kept the ball out of Cameron Boozer's hands.

The Blue Devils returned to form in the second half and had three runs where they scored at least 10 points and shut out the Black Knights. While Boozer was limited to 15 points, others stepped up with big performances, particularly one Duke freshman on the wing.

Dame Sarr Breaks Out vs Army

Dame Sarr's brief time in Durham has already been a wild ride. After suffering a minor injury in the preseason, which forced him to miss an exhibition contest against UCF, it seemed like the five-star's role would be as a sharpshooter off the bench, with Nikolas Khamenia playing well in pursuit of a starting spot.

Instead, Sarr has stepped into the starting five in all three games so far. He struggled shooting from the field in his first two outings, hitting on just 22.2% of his shots with 10 points against Texas and Western Carolina.

Against Army, Sarr exploded for his best performance as a Blue Devil yet. He led the team with 19 points, 13 of which came in the first half. He added three rebounds and three steals in the win.

The 19-year-old from Italy hit a trio of triples and was a big part of the offense, separating from Army in the first half. He also made six trips to the free-throw line, knocking down four.

Scheyer has attributed Sarr's early struggles to simply adjusting to both the college game and playing in the United States after coming from Italy. Weighing in at just 190 pounds with a 6-foot-8 frame, the freshman doesn't have the strength to consistently drive inside, which is something he will have to grow into.

For now, as long as Sarr is a reliable shooter on the wing and creating turnovers on the perimeter, Scheyer has to be happy with the improvement he's seen. Now, Sarr has to carry over the momentum into Friday's tilt against Indiana State.

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This article first appeared on Duke Blue Devils on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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