[The following scouting report is part of a series on potential 2024 draft prospects from Sports Business Classroom alumni.]

Alexandre Sarr
Frame: 7’1″, 224 lbs
Position: Center
Team: Perth Wildcats (NBL Australia)
2024 Draft Age: 19
Stats via basketball-reference.com 

Offense

Sarr’s expansive skillset allows him to be plugged into multiple offensive sets and fill any needed role. He is reliable when rolling to the rim after setting a screen, consistently finishing a lob, or getting inside positioning on his defender to prepare for a putback. Sarr averaged 1.4 offensive rebounds per game in only 17.2 minutes, and most of these rebounds were immediately converted into putbacks.

He can also pop off screens to the three-point line to space out the defense and hit jumpers. He knocked down 29.8 percent of his three-point attempts with the Wildcats, most of which being off the catch out of screening actions. While his shooting was inconsistent throughout the season, he has a fundamentally sound form. With his high-release point and ability to put the ball on the floor, Sarr has the potential to become an elite shot-creator if he can continue to grow as a shooter.

Ballhandling is an area of Sarr’s game that is still growing, but Sarr is way ahead of schedule regarding his size and age. He showed flashes of isolation scoring on the perimeter throughout the season and even had multiple plays where he would get the defensive rebound and take the ball coast-to-coast. Similar to his shooting, if his ballhandling continues on the trajectory, defenders will have a lot of trouble guarding him when he gets in triple-threat position.

Although his playmaking was not often on display, Sarr showed off his IQ at multiple different moments by finding cutters, throwing full-court outlet passes, and making good reads out of pick-and-rolls. The X-factor that could take Sarr’s offense from good to great is his level of aggression. He was hard for the defense to control when he looked to score and attack the rim with force. However, he had some stretches where he would be much more passive, which left him virtually removed from the offense. If he can find a role that allows him to play aggressively and put the ball on the floor, Sarr’s scoring could reach elite heights.

 

Defense

Defensively, Sarr can come in and make a name for himself immediately. His impact is seen in every aspect of the defensive end, as his quick footspeed and 7’5″ wingspan make him highly versatile. 

Sarr can play and dominate in various defensive coverages. He performs very well in a drop, as his long arms mitigate pull-ups and floaters. His defensive discipline allows him to stay straight up versus attackers and contest or block a shot without fouling. Sarr can also shut down a pick-and-roll as he takes up so much space, which gives the ballhandler very little room to operate in the lane and the roller little space to find an easy lane to the hoop. 

He is world-class in terms of rotating. Sarr can go from sliding into the paint as a help defender to hustling back and executing a perfect closeout on his man on the perimeter. As an on-ball defender, he is very good on the perimeter at keeping his man in front of him and staying disciplined. Because of this, Perth often assigned him perimeter-oriented matchups. In the low-post, however, he still needs to put on more muscle to hold his own versus the NBA’s best effectively.

Sarr needs to improve as a defensive rebounder. While he may be worthy of slack, given his time spent defending on the perimeter, Sarr could still look to be more aggressive and focused on being the first to the ball when a shot goes up.  

He’s an impressive rim protector, especially when playing help defense. Sarr would often come out of nowhere to block a shot. Due to this high-level rim protection, he forced a lot of kick outs when attackers would see him waiting in the paint. 

Finally, where Sarr thrives defensively is in transition. His length and quickness make him a frightful sight for anyone facing him on the break because he takes away so many angles. Even if he is behind the fastbreak, the offensive player is at risk of getting his shot pinned against the glass by a hustling Sarr. 

Looking Ahead

Sarr is one of the most versatile big-man prospects in some time. He is still very raw and will need much development to unlock all his untapped potential, but there is plenty to unlock. 

He can do everything on both ends of the court to a degree. Offensively, he can be a constant lob threat, shoot, put the ball on the floor, and make high IQ reads. Defensively, he can guard all positions, get in passing lanes, and protect the rim without excessive fouling. In the future, the question is whether he will ever be given a role where these skills can be utilized or if he’ll play a more minimal role based on the team’s needs. 

Although he is virtually a consensus top-three prospect in this draft, Sarr did not let that get in the way of playing team-oriented basketball with the Wildcats. He did not try to do too much or force potential highlight reel plays to garner more attention, which speaks volumes about his maturity and willingness to win.

He displays shades of Evan Mobley and Chet Holmgren as versatile two-way bigs that can fill a variety of roles for your team. Don’t look for Sarr to immediately look like a star in the NBA, but look for him to immediately contribute in various ways while focusing heavily on development over his first few seasons.