Summer practices at Duke are supposed to be developmental — a time for freshmen to adjust, vets to lead, and rotations to begin quietly forming. But every once in a while, something happens that resets the entire temperature of the gym.
That moment came when Dame Sarr, the freshman Italian wing from FC Barcelona, delivered the sequence of the summer — and maybe the moment that just changed the rotation conversation in Durham.
It began with a basic halfcourt set. Caleb Foster, the junior guard from Harrisburg, initiated the offense and swung it to Sarr on the right wing. What came next? Nobody was ready for it. Sarr sized up Cameron Sheffield, gave him a quick hesitation, then exploded into the lane. Waiting at the rim was Patrick Ngongba II, the 6-11 sophomore center — and Sarr rose through him.
One dribble. One body. One dunk. And silence.
The gym froze, then erupted. Coaches shouted. Players slapped the floor. Even Maliq Brown, the steady veteran forward, had to cover his mouth after what he saw. But the freshman wasn’t done.
Seconds later, on the defensive end, Sarr jumped a passing lane intended for Darren Harris and pushed the ball in transition. What followed was pure instinct — a no-look lob to Isaiah Evans, who flushed it reverse with ease. That’s two highlight plays in ten seconds… and one statement the entire roster felt.
> “That moment told us we’ve got a different kind of freshman on our hands,” said one staff member.
Even the team’s stars couldn’t ignore it. Cameron Boozer, widely regarded as the crown jewel of the class, dapped up Sarr mid-play. His brother, Cayden Boozer, couldn’t stop smiling from the sideline. And Nikolas Khamenia, another freshman wing with USA Basketball reps, was the first to wrap him up after the play — no jealousy, just respect.
It wasn’t just the flash — it was the fearlessness. Sarr didn’t just challenge Duke’s biggest returning big. He finished through him. And he did it with the same calm, quiet demeanor he’s shown since arriving in Durham.
> “You usually have to wait until January to see something like that,” said a teammate. “This kid? He just fast-forwarded everything.”
Veterans like Foster, Evans, and Brown have set the tone all summer. But this week, it was Sarr — and his show-stopping sequence — that had everyone talking. The message was clear: minutes at Duke this year aren’t being handed out by class or reputation.
They’re being taken.
