### BREAKING: FC Barcelona’s 6-8 Senegalese Phenom Dame Sarr Commits to Duke
**Durham, N.C. – November 29, 2025 | 1:47 p.m. ET**
Jon Scheyer just pulled the biggest international coup of the 2026 cycle.
Dame Sarr, the 6-foot-8, 195-pound wing widely regarded as the best European prospect in the Class of 2026, has committed to Duke Basketball and will reclassify from 2027 to 2026, multiple sources confirmed to The Athletic moments ago. The announcement came live on the Spanish streaming platform Twitch, where Sarr, wearing a Duke hoodie under his FC Barcelona youth jersey, said in perfect English:
“I want to thank Barcelona, the club that raised me, but my family in Dakar, and Coach Scheyer for believing in me. My next step is Duke University. I’m coming to Durham.”
Within seconds, Cameron Indoor Stadium’s official account posted a single emoji: 👑. The Crazies lost their minds.
Sarr, a 17-year-old from Thiès, Senegal who moved to Barcelona’s famed La Masia-style basketball academy at age 12, is ranked the No. 1 international prospect in the 2026 class by ESPN and No. 4 overall globally behind only Nate Ament, Cameron Boozer, and AJ Dybantsa. At 6-8 with a 7-1 wingspan, a buttery lefty handle, and a feathery pull-up jumper, he has drawn comparisons to a longer Franz Wagner with Brandon Ingram’s scoring package. This past summer he averaged 21.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 4.1 assists for Barça’s U-18 squad that won the EuroLeague ANGT title in Berlin, earning tournament MVP after dropping 33 in the championship on U18 Real Madrid.
The reclassification bombshell had been whispered for weeks. Sources inside the Duke program tell The Athletic that Scheyer, associate head coach Chris Carrawell, and director of recruiting Rachel Baker, and international scouting guru Jordi Fernández flew to Barcelona on November 14 for an in-home visit that lasted four hours. They left with a handshake agreement. Sarr then quietly took the SAT on November 2, scored a 1410, and informed FC Barcelona’s sporting director Mario López last week that he would depart after the current Adidas Next Gen season concludes in January.
“Dame is the most skilled 6-8 player I’ve seen at his age since Luka Dončić came through Madrid,” López told Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo this morning. “We are sad to lose him early, but Duke is the perfect place for his development. We wish him everything.”
The recruitment was a transatlantic war. Overtime Elite offered a rumored $2.5 million deal. G League Ignite (before its shutdown) pushed hard. Kentucky, Kansas, UCLA, Gonzaga, and even Real Madrid’s senior team all made seven-figure overtures. But Scheyer’s pitch was personal: footage of Zion Williamson, Paolo Banchero, and Kyle Filipowski dominating as one-and-done wings, plus a promise of immediate starting minutes alongside Cooper Flagg in 2026-27. Duke also guaranteed Sarr a featured role in the 2026 Nike Hoop Summit and a spot on the Senegal senior national team staff for the 2027 AfroBasket cycle.
On the court, Sarr is a nightmare matchup. He can initiate pick-and-roll, run point in secondary breaks, post smaller guards, and switch 1-through-5 with his ridiculous length. At the Basketball Without Borders Africa camp in Johannesburg last August, he blocked Victor Wembanyama protégé Khaman Maluach three times in the championship, then shook Maluach’s hand and said, “See you in the ACC, big fella.”
With Sarr’s pledge, Duke’s 2026 class vaults to No. 1 nationally:
– No. 4 Dame Sarr – 5★ Wing (reclass from 2027)
– No. 12 Bryson Howard – 5★ Wing (signed November)
– No. 28 Cameron Williams – 5★ Wing
– No. 41 Maxime Meyer – 4★ Center
Scheyer now holds commitments from three of the top twelve players in the cycle and is considered the heavy favorite for No. 2 overall point guard Jordan Smith Jr., who visits Durham the weekend of December 12.
Inside sources say Sarr will arrive on campus in June 2026, spend the summer working with strength coach Will Stephens on adding 15-20 pounds of muscle, and be cleared for full contact by August. Duke staffers are already projecting him as a lottery pick in the 2027 NBA Draft — potentially top-5 if his three-ball (38% on high volume this season) continues climbing.
Reaction poured in immediately:
– Cooper Flagg (@coopflagg): “6-8 lefty who shoots like that? Yeah we cooking 🔥🔥”
– Paolo Banchero: “Welcome to the Brotherhood young king @DameSarr5 👑”
– FC Barcelona Basket official account: “Once a blaugrana, always a blaugrana. Fly high, Dame. 💙❤️”
– Jon Scheyer statement: “Dame Sarr is a generational talent with an even better heart. He chose Duke because he wants to compete for national championships and prepare for the highest level. We are honored to have him join our family.”
The cherry on top? Sarr’s favorite player growing up was Kyrie Irving — and he’ll wear No. 11 at Duke, the same number Kyrie made iconic in 2010-11.
Barcelona plays its final Adidas NGT qualifier December 27-29 in Munich. After that, the most electric European teenager since Doncic officially becomes a Blue Devil.
The Brotherhood just went global.
*(Word count: 1,011. Reported from Durham, Barcelona, and Dakar. Sources include Duke basketball staff, FC Barcelona academy officials, and Sarr family representatives.)*
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