BIO: Alexandre Sarr was born in Toulouse (France). There he competed in Spain with Real Madrid’s Cadet A Youth Team before spending two years in the USA developing his game with the Overtime Elite (OTE) program. Competing at OTE with, and against, some of the world’s brightest young talents, Sarr was a force down low finishing second in the league in BLK% (4.1%) and averaged 3.0 blocks per 40 minutes.

A very fluid and mobile big man with really good movement skills, agility and leaping ability. He moves more like a wing than a traditional center. Has a lot of potential as a face-up player where he can use his speed and mobility to take defenders off the bounce – or pull up from mid range. He is also a versatile defender who can guard the 3pt line.

How many 7 footers are doing this?
Alex Sarr is SPECIAL 💫 pic.twitter.com/ffhYNkDlqD

— Overtime Elite (@OvertimeElite) August 22, 2022

FAMILY: The younger brother of NBA player Olivia Sarr.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Alexandre Sarr made his NBL debut with the Perth Wildcats at 18 years of age. He scored nine points in his first game.

After finishing sixth with a 15-13 record and being eliminated by Cairns during the play-in tournament, Perth reshaped its roster for John Rillie’s second season as head coach. Luke Travers (to Melbourne), Todd Blanchfield (to Illawarra), Mitchell Norton (to Brisbane), TaShawn Thomas and Brady Manek departed, while Rillie added Keanu Pinder (via Cairns), Hyrum Harris (via Adelaide), David Okwera (via Melbourne), rookie Ben Henshall and imports Jordan Usher and Kristian Doolittle.

Sarr became the first Next Star signed by the Wildcats, joining Perth after two seasons developing with Overtime Elite in the United States and previous time with Real Madrid’s youth program in Spain. He had also won bronze with France at the 2022 FIBA U17 World Cup, where he was one of the tournament’s most efficient players. When Perth secured him in May, ESPN projected Sarr as the 17th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

“This is an extremely exciting signing for the club to be able to secure an elite talent like Alexandre as a Next Star for next season,” Wildcats General Manager of Basketball Operations Danny Mills said upon signing Sarr.

“His combination of size, skill and a high-level basketball IQ at his age is incredibly unique and why he is on the draft boards of every NBA team as a projected first-round pick for the 2024 Draft.”

Sarr enhanced his NBA credentials during Perth’s pre-season series against G League Ignite in Las Vegas, playing in front of a large contingent of NBA scouts and executives before carrying that form into the NBL season.

Perth opened at RAC Arena on September 29, where Sarr (9 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks) made all four of his field-goal attempts as the Wildcats defeated Tasmania 101-95. Usher (35 points and 3 rebounds) produced the highest-scoring debut in Wildcats history and Cotton (21 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals) provided support, while Jack McVeigh (22 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 block) led Tasmania.

Sarr (9.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks across 27 games) quickly established himself as Perth’s primary rim protector, shooting 52 per cent from the field while playing just over 17 minutes per game. His early performances resulted in NBA scouts regularly travelling to Australia to watch him and saw his draft projection rise rapidly during the season.

In his third NBL game, Sarr (16 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks) delivered one of his first major performances during Perth’s Pink Game against Adelaide on October 6. After Pinder fouled out, Sarr made two three-pointers in the final two minutes and grabbed a crucial rebound as Perth won 82-75, with Cotton (19 points, 5 assists, and 2 steals) and Usher (16 points and 5 rebounds) also contributing, while Isaac Humphries (18 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks) led Adelaide.

Sarr continued his rise against first-placed Melbourne on November 6, finishing with 17 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block in 24 minutes as Perth won 102-95 in overtime at John Cain Arena. Cotton (24 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Doolittle (18 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists) led the Wildcats alongside him, while Jo Lual-Acuil (25 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks) was Melbourne’s best.

17 points, 6 rebounds in 24 minutes for projected No. 2 pick Alex Sarr in a huge road win over first place Melbourne. The 7'1 French big man has been one of the big risers of the 2024 NBA draft cycle thus far. pic.twitter.com/Jxq5LEy3we— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) November 6, 2023

A hip strain suffered in late December sidelined Sarr for about a month. After returning late in January, he delivered his best scoring game against South East Melbourne on January 27, finishing with a season-high 18 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 5 blocks in 18 minutes as Perth won 103-91 and secured a finals berth. Pinder (23 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 blocks) and Cotton (21 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2 steals) led the Wildcats alongside him, while Mitch Creek (29 points and 6 rebounds) was South East Melbourne’s leading scorer.

Sarr’s best game of the season came against Cairns at RAC Arena on February 10, where he recorded his first NBL double-double with 14 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 3 blocks as Perth defeated the Taipans 117-88 and secured second place and a direct semifinal berth. Cotton (26 points and 4 assists) and Pinder (18 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 steals) provided support, while Patrick Miller (25 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists) led Cairns.

Cotton (22.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.5 steals across 30 games) led Perth offensively and claimed his fourth NBL MVP award, while Pinder (13.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.7 steals across 31 games) supplied scoring and rebounding inside. Usher (12.3 points and 3.4 rebounds across 31 games) settled into a sixth-man role and Doolittle (9 points and 6.7 rebounds across 29 games) led the team in rebounding. Sarr finished third in voting for the NBL Next Generation Award as Perth recovered from a 2-5 start to finish second with a 17-11 record.

Perth opened its semifinal series against Tasmania at RAC Arena on March 8, where Sarr (9 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 blocks) protected the rim as Pinder (25 points and 7 rebounds) and Cotton (15 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists) led the Wildcats to an 89-81 victory. Jordon Crawford (19 points and 3 assists), McVeigh (17 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Marcus Lee (16 points and 3 rebounds) led Tasmania.

Game two moved to MyState Bank Arena, where Sarr (5 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 blocks), Cotton (26 points and 3 steals) and Doolittle (20 points and 9 rebounds) led Perth, while Milton Doyle (24 points and 6 rebounds), McVeigh (22 points and 5 rebounds) and Majok Deng (18 points and 5 rebounds) helped Tasmania win 102-94 and force a deciding game.

Game three returned to RAC Arena, where Sarr (9 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block), Cotton (21 points and 4 rebounds) and Harris (13 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists) led Perth, while McVeigh (27 points and 6 rebounds), Doyle (24 points, 4 rebounds, 9 assists, and 2 steals) and Will Magnay (18 points, 9 rebounds, and 1 block) carried Tasmania to a 100-84 victory, with Sarr averaging a series-high 2.7 blocks across the three games.

Alexandre Sarr played one season in the NBL. He averaged 9.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 0.9 assists in 27 NBL games.

HIGHLIGHTS:

Alex Sarr has made a bigger impact on the Next Star program than one might realise. Look at NBL rosters, Next Star program may as well be called the backup big program as teams realise that's the only position that combines team success and provides the opportunities they need pic.twitter.com/qPBdNaUNSs

— AussieHoopla (@aussiehoopla) July 2, 2024