Duke basketball's Dame Sarr fulfills dream with commitment to become a Blue Devil

The Duke Blue Devils are coming off a highly successful season, thanks to contributions from several standout players. In nearly every game, a different player stepped up and played a crucial role in securing the win. Led by projected future No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg, the Blue Devils advanced all the way to the Final Four before suffering a heartbreaking loss.

Duke has done an impressive job of maintaining roster continuity, though they did lose a few key players to the NBA Draft. While the Blue Devils haven't seen any departures through the transfer portal, they've only brought in one new player: Washington State transfer Cedric Coward, who is currently leaning toward entering the NBA Draft.

“I’m 100-percent focused on the draft,” Coward said. “It kind of sucks because people think I’m using Duke for just the noise or whatever it may be, but I picked them, and I love Coach Scheyer and the staff for a reason, and I believe they can help me if I were to go there.”

With Coward likely to remain in the draft, analyst Jeff Goodman emphasized that Duke needs to add another high-impact player.

“You take Cedric Coward out of there, even less so, they got some work to do, they need to find someone else who can be an impact player,” Goodman said.

Head coach Jon Scheyer may have found that player in Dame Sarr. On Thursday, Sarr committed to the Blue Devils and is expected to arrive on campus soon. He shared that playing for Duke has long been a dream of his.

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“Duke was my dream school. I played with Jabari Parker this season, who went to Duke,” said Sarr.

Clearly, Duke’s reputation and Sarr’s experience playing alongside a former Blue Devil had a strong influence on his decision. A potential 2026 NBA Draft pick, Sarr will look to make an immediate impact for the program. This upcoming season, Sarr will get to live out his lifelong dream.