Duke lands top international prospect Dame Sarr, who flashed in front of NBA scouts at Nike Hoop Summit
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 continued. "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."
Advertisement
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, four 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."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
5 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Houston ace Framber Valdez criticizes defensive shift in Astros' loss to Nationals
HOUSTON (AP) — Houston ace Framber Valdez expressed frustration about the defensive positioning on a play in the sixth inning Monday night that led to the only run he allowed in the Astros' 2-1 loss to the Washington Nationals. There were two outs in the sixth when Valdez walked Josh Bell. Nathaniel Lowe's groundball double to the right field corner scored Bell and tied the game at 1. Valdez wasn't happy that right fielder Taylor Trammell was shifted halfway to center field instead of in right field on the play. 'I saw the right fielder playing center field and, you know, we have a center fielder for that,' Valdez told reporters in Spanish through a translator. 'I feel like the right fielder should have been playing right field. I was uncomfortable with that.' Valdez was asked if he addressed the positioning with the coaching staff. 'I don't have to ask the coaches about that,' he said. 'I feel like baseball is a game of common sense. With me as a lefty pitcher, they don't hit a lot of fly balls against me.' Valdez allowed three hits and a run while tying a season high with 12 strikeouts in six innings to become the 10th pitcher in franchise history to reach 1,000 career strikeouts (1,007). Riley Adams hit a solo homer in the seventh inning to give Washington the win and extend Houston's skid to a season-high five games. ___ AP MLB:
Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Nikola Jokić cries tears of joy, takes champagne shower after his horse wins race in Serbia
Much was made about Nikola Jokić's stoic reaction to winning the 2023 NBA championship. This is not that. Jokić, whose love of his horses is well-documented, watched one of them win a race in his home country of Serbia on Sunday. Arena Sport TV documented the action and Jokić's reaction in a video that the Denver Nuggets shared Sunday afternoon. Jokić let the emotions fly. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] After his horse crossed the finish line, Jokić put his head in his hands in tears. He then hopped a fence to access the track, still in tears as he approached his horse and his driver with his arms wide open. He then shared a hug with the driver and gave his horse a pat on the back. The tears kept flowing as he walked with his team to the celebration circle. There, Jokić was in charge of the magnum bottle of champagne. He popped the cork, then sprayed down his team, horse included. He then proceeded to pour champagne on the heads of his team members while saving the final champagne shower for himself. It was a display of unbridled joy. Cue up Jokić's stoic reaction in the immediate aftermath of leading the Nuggets to the NBA championship in 2023: "It's good," Jokić told ESPN when asked how it feels to win his first championship. "The job is done. We can go home now." This reaction resulted in jokes about how much Jokić does or doesn't care about basketball. Which were, of course, silly. Jokić has been the best basketball player in the world for several years running. He's a three-time MVP and a two-time Olympic medalist in addition to being an NBA champion. Of course he cares about basketball. A lot. One doesn't reach his level without caring. And he did let his guard down in the ensuing celebrations in the Nuggets locker room ... : ... and again during Denver's championship parade: But it's fair to say that Jokić's love for his horses and their racing success holds an unparalleled place in his heart. Nothing — at least in public — seems to come close.
Fox Sports
35 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
Houston ace Framber Valdez criticizes defensive shift in Astros' loss to Nationals
Associated Press HOUSTON (AP) — Houston ace Framber Valdez expressed frustration about the defensive positioning on a play in the sixth inning Monday night that led to the only run he allowed in the Astros' 2-1 loss to the Washington Nationals. There were two outs in the sixth when Valdez walked Josh Bell. Nathaniel Lowe's groundball double to the right field corner scored Bell and tied the game at 1. Valdez wasn't happy that right fielder Taylor Trammell was shifted halfway to center field instead of in right field on the play. 'I saw the right fielder playing center field and, you know, we have a center fielder for that,' Valdez told reporters in Spanish through a translator. 'I feel like the right fielder should have been playing right field. I was uncomfortable with that.' Valdez was asked if he addressed the positioning with the coaching staff. 'I don't have to ask the coaches about that,' he said. 'I feel like baseball is a game of common sense. With me as a lefty pitcher, they don't hit a lot of fly balls against me.' Valdez allowed three hits and a run while tying a season high with 12 strikeouts in six innings to become the 10th pitcher in franchise history to reach 1,000 career strikeouts (1,007). Riley Adams hit a solo homer in the seventh inning to give Washington the win and extend Houston's skid to a season-high five games. ___ AP MLB: recommended Item 1 of 1
