Dame Sarr of FC Barcelona. SOPA Images

Duke adds top international prospect to stacked recruiting class

By Chris Tulp | Last updated May 23, 2025 10:30 AM ET

Top international prospect Dame Sarr has committed to Duke, where he will join an already loaded recruiting class.

“Duke was my dream school," Sarr told ESPN. "I watched a lot of NCAA games this season, especially Duke. When I had the chance to go there, I had to take it.

“My ultimate goal is to play in the NBA," Sarr added. "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. Opportunity, minutes, repetition — this route is the best next step for me at this time.”

NEWS: Dame Sarr has committed to Duke, he told ESPN.

The 6'8 Italian wing is a projected first-round pick in 2026.

STORY: https://t.co/1ZdinTIhu2 pic.twitter.com/GWWomzyfJz
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 22, 2025

The 18-year-old Italian swingman has been playing for Barcelona since he was 16 and was the second youngest player to make their debut with the club.

Sarr represented Italy at the FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2024, averaging 13.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 3.1 steals in seven games. He debuted with Italy’s senior national team at the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Qualifiers.

Sarr, a potential first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, will team up with Duke’s three McDonald’s All-Americans and ESPN 100 recruits in Cameron and Cayden Boozer and Nikolas Khamenia.

A consensus top-three-ranked class for 2025, Duke continues to be an elite program in recruiting. This class follows up last year’s, which featured five ESPN 100 recruits, including Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel, who declared for the 2025 NBA Draft in June.

Despite losing Flagg, Knueppel and center Khaman Maluach, Duke looks primed to be a national contender once again as it tries to build on its Final Four run.

Chris Tulp

Chris Tulp is a sportswriter who started his writing career covering the NBA. He then wrote for FIBA, covering numerous international events and leagues and even attended the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 in Jakarta, Indonesia. He brings niche knowledge of global players, both playing domestically and overseas

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