The Duke basketball program wrapped up preseason play on Sunday, defeating No. 17 Kansas 90-84 in an exhibition game at Allen Fieldhouse.
Duke now gears up for the regular season after finishing its preseason contests 3-0 and validating all the expectations around this team. Jon Scheyer's squad is clearly one of the best two-way teams in college basketball entering the year as a true heavyweight national title contender.
Arguably the biggest preseason riser for the Blue Devils is sophomore Dame Sarr, who is continuing to impress in multiple areas of the game. His potential sophomore leap only rises with each game, but one interesting note makes his second year of college basketball even more exciting to follow.
Dame Sarr Hasn't Relied on the Three-Point Shot
Throughout the offseason, most of our discussion about Sarr's potential sophomore breakout focused on his three-point shooting. Sarr was one of the best on-ball defenders in college basketball last season, but his outside shot never grew into a consistent threat. The Italian shot 32.3% from beyond the arc on 3.5 attempts.
If he could develop a consistent three-ball, he could turn into one of the best 3-and-D wings in the country in 2026-27. What's interesting is that Sarr has shown immense growth over the Blue Devils' scrimmage and two exhibition games, but the three-point shot hasn't been leading the charge in that production jump.
Against Belmont, Sarr tied the game-high in points with 19, along with six rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Two of his four makes from the field came from the perimeter. Against Tennessee, the 6'8" wing tallied 15 points, but only one of his six field-goal makes came from the three-point line. He went for 12 points against Kansas while going 0-for-5 from three.
Sarr is evolving into much more than a 3-and-D prospect. He is hunting driving lanes and isn't just taking advantage of open ones, but is turning down outside shots and electing to go at the basket and force defenders to challenge him there. Sarr has also shown vast improvements as a passer and a cutter.
Sarr's Growth Has Been Rapid
Across three preseason games, Sarr shot 12-of-24 (50%) from the field, 3-of-11 (27.3%) from the three-point line, and 19-of-24 (79.2%) from the free-throw line. He's made an impact as a scorer for Duke in all three contests, but it hasn't come from a vastly improved three-point shot. Instead, it comes from his evolution in different areas of the game.
Now, this isn't trying to knock Sarr in any way. In fact, this is to highlight the excitement around his sophomore season even more. The wing was arguably the Blue Devils' best all-around player across the preseason, but that wasn't because of a clear jump in the facet of the game everyone expected. Sarr has instead shown rapid growth in getting to the basket, seeking out contact, and moving without the basketball.
As a rookie, about 64% of Sarr's total shot attempts came from the three-point line. He also only made 53.2% of his free-throw attempts while attempting 1.6 a night. Although the three-ball hasn't been his calling card early, he's knocked down about 80% of his free-throw attempts while averaging eight attempts at the line per game.
All this is to say that Sarr is more than a 3-and-D wing, and he has proven that before we even get to the regular season. The three-point shot will come, but he's managed to display vast growth without the perimeter being a major factor.
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