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Duke's Immediate Reaction After Landing Commitment From 5-Star Dame Sarr

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Kevin Borba | Last updated May 22, 2025 6:42 PM ET

The Duke Blue Devils are on a mission to reload following a season that saw them fail to make a run to the Final Four and lose their entire starting five to the NBA.

This isn't an unfamiliar situation for Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils, as the program has long been committed to the one-and-done method, which allows top recruits to play for a season before declaring for the draft.

With Cooper Flagg serving as the headliner for this year's class, along with Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach, Duke will guide a new group of blue-chip recruits next season. On Thursday, the program's 2026 class grew by one in a big way, as the Blue Devils landed five-star shooting guard Dame Sarr, who hails from Italy.

To celebrate his commitment, Duke uploaded a video featuring current stars like Flagg and past stars, including Jay Bilas, Tyus Jones, Zion Williamson, Jayson Tatum and Grant Hill, saying, "Another one."

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #TheBrotherhood #DreamBiggest pic.twitter.com/XQXJkxzbZT
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) May 22, 2025

"Duke was my dream school," Sarr told ESPN. "I watched a lot of NCAA games this season, especially Duke. I played [for Barcelona] with Jabari Parker this season, who went to Duke. When I had the chance to go there, I had to take it."

Not only does Sarr complement a recruiting class headlined by twins Cameron and Cayden Boozer, who rank as the No. 3 and 23 recruits, respectively, but he may also serve as the perfect replacement for one of the team's transfer portal players.

The Blue Devils made a big move this offseason by landing Washington State transfer Cedric Coward. However, after testing the NBA waters, the expectation is that Coward will remain in the 2025 NBA Draft after a strong combine.

Although Coward would provide more of a veteran presence at 22, Sarr does have the experience of going up against pros thanks to his time with FC Barcelona.

This past season, during Euroleague play, Sarr averaged 3.6 points and 1.1 rebounds per game in 8.5 minutes of playing time. Although he didn't play much, he has the mindset of a pro and should see his skill set translate well at Duke.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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