It wasn’t long ago that Duke looked like a serious player for one of the most intriguing international names on the board.
But things have changed—fast.
Dame Sarr, a 6-foot-6 wing from Italy with pro-ready tools, is trending hard toward Kansas, according to top recruiting insiders.
Travis Branham of 247Sports didn’t mince words Monday, posting a Crystal Ball prediction for Sarr to land with the Jayhawks.
“Things sounding very positive with Kansas and Dame Sarr,” Branham wrote.
Eric Bossi added, “Sarr announcement should be coming soon and all indications are that Kansas is in great shape.”
It’s a major development in what was once shaping up to be a four-team battle between Kansas, Duke, Oregon, and Illinois.
Now, it looks like the Jayhawks are closing in—and Duke is quietly falling out of the mix.
The Blue Devils had been connected to Sarr as recently as mid-April, but that buzz has cooled off significantly. In fact, multiple sources say it would be a real surprise if he ended up in Durham at this point.
Sarr recently left FC Barcelona and is eligible for the 2025 NBA Draft, though his name wasn’t included on the early entry list.
6’6
Dame Sarr has put together a special last couple of performances for Fc Barcelona in both the Euroleague and ACB
Sarr has averaged 12.3 PPG, 3.6 RPG and 2.4 APG on 69/66/70 splits in only 17 MPG in his last 6 games
Sarr has put together a resume that most 18 year old’s… pic.twitter.com/7zPxPUmfFX
— Arman Jovic (@PDTScouting) March 28, 2025
That all but confirms he’ll suit up for a college team next season—and whoever lands him gets an NBA-level athlete with size, skill, and serious upside.
Playing with FC Barcelona in Liga ACB—arguably the top league outside the NBA—Sarr averaged 5.8 points and 1.7 rebounds in just 12.8 minutes per game, shooting 52.1% from the field and 42.9% from deep.
That kind of efficiency, in that kind of league, says a lot.
With Barcelona’s U18 team, he flashed even more with 18.3 points, 5.0 assists and 3.3 boards per game in just over 23 minutes.
The tools are there.
Duke missing out here doesn’t doom their offseason, but it’s another sign that Kansas, fresh off a rocky season, is loading up again.
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