One of the last key parts of the Blue Devils’ roster is officially staying put.
On Friday, freshman forward Dame Sarr shared on Instagram that he will be returning to Durham for his sophomore season. The 6-foot-8 standout made his presence felt as a defensive force, averaging 6.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game while totaling 37 steals during the season. Although there had been speculation about a possible jump to the NBA Draft, Sarr has chosen to remain with the Brotherhood, bringing back his corner three-pointers, transition slams, and nonstop defensive intensity for another year.
A late addition to the 2025-26 roster after Duke lost Cedric Coward to the NBA lottery, Sarr slowly grew into his role and became a key contributor throughout the campaign for the Blue Devils. The wing started the first eight contests of the season at the small forward position, including a 19-point outburst when Duke traveled to Army on Veterans Day.
The freshman made his presence on defense felt from day one in Durham. Sarr utilized his length and athleticism to consistently blow up opposing actions and smother primary ball handlers. In a January contest against Stanford, he held fellow standout freshman Ebuka Okorie — who averaged over 23 points per game for the season — to just nine points. At the conclusion of the season, Sarr finished second in the voting for ACC Defensive Player of the Year behind Maliq Brown and earned a spot on the conference’s All-Defense team after helping anchor the league’s best unit on that end.
While there were some growing pains when it came to finishing at the rim and handling the ball consistently, the youngster developed into an excellent weapon shooting the corners. Sarr was the beneficiary of many kickout passes from Cameron Boozer and Patrick Ngongba II due to their gravity down low, and hit triples at a high clip from both spots.
Sarr will likely maintain his spot in the starting lineup for his sophomore year — splitting time with Bryson Howard and Sebastian Wilkins — reinforcing the Blue Devils’ continuity that is so crucial for a late run in March.
