Duke’s Dame Sarr Struggles in Season Opener Against Texas

Charlotte, North Carolina – Duke basketball wing Dame Sarr faced challenges in his debut season with the No. 4-ranked Blue Devils. The 19-year-old from Italy averaged 5.0 points and 5.0 rebounds in Duke’s first two games, but his shooting percentages raised concerns.

Sarr’s shooting percentage is a low 22.2% from the field and 44.4% from the free-throw line, indicating he might be overthinking his offensive opportunities. Head coach Jon Scheyer noticed this during Duke’s recent matchup against the Western Carolina Catamounts.

“Dame is so hard on himself,” Scheyer told Duke Blue Devils On SI. “He’s got to just move on to the next play; this isn’t going to be perfect.” Scheyer emphasized that Sarr contributes significantly in areas that don’t show up in the box score.

Sarr missed part of the preseason due to an oblique injury, which has made his adjustment to college basketball more difficult. Scheyer noted, “I thought he was pressing tonight, which is natural.”

In his performance against Western Carolina, Sarr recorded two points, four rebounds, one block, and two fouls in 17 minutes. He struggled shooting 0-for-4 from the field and missed both three-point attempts.

Duke’s next game will be against the Army Black Knights on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET. Sarr and his teammates will look to improve their performance and build on their 2-0 start to the season.