Perth Move a “No-Brainer” for Sarr

Wednesday, May 10, 2023

The NBL’s newest Next Star, Alexandre Sarr, has revealed it was a “no brainer” joining the Perth Wildcats.

The NBL’s newest Next Star, Alexandre Sarr, has revealed it was a “no-brainer” joining the Perth Wildcats.

Sarr, a 7’1 Frenchman, made history by becoming the first Wildcat to become a Next Star, with the news confirmed on Tuesday.

The 18-year-old believes Perth will help him develop to grow his prospects ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft, where he's currently projected among ESPN's top 20 picks.

“Choosing the Perth Wildcats was a no-brainer,” Sarr said.

“They have a plan for me and I can see myself playing for the Perth Wildcats and being impactful on the court.

“I just hope for it to be a great season, I want to win.

“I’m not just here to get to the [NBA] league next year, even though it’s my main goal. I want to win, that’s why I chose the NBL.

“I’ve been a competitor my whole life. I want to win games, make the playoffs and go as far as we can.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Making history ?<br><br>The <a href="https://twitter.com/PerthWildcats?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PerthWildcats</a> have signed French phenom Alexandre Sarr as the first Next Star in the history of the club ?<br><br>Read more: <a href="https://t.co/ANylYYvR64">https://t.co/ANylYYvR64</a> <a href="https://t.co/DvLAVskkwv">pic.twitter.com/DvLAVskkwv</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1655717274257612800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The Wildcats' struggles at the rim were well publicised across NBL23, and Sarr's presence will be a welcome sight for John Rillie.

“Being 7’1 and being athletic will definitely help the team as far as rebounding and rim protection. That’s definitely something I bring to the table,” Sarr said.

Perth’s GM of Basketball, Danny Mills echoed Sarr’s comments, emphasising what the young French star will add to the team.

“What’s really intriguing about Alex is his versatility and his size, he plays both on the perimeter, inside, he’s a lob threat offensively. He can step out and hit three-point shots, then defensively he is a guy that can switch,” Mills said.

“He can really be a paint presence for us, which is something we lacked last season.

“To be able to get a person, the talent and calibre of Alex, for him to be able to fill a lot of these deficiencies that we recognised we had last year is a huge step for the club.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Who's got next? Alex does ??<br><br>Who's excited to see the French seven-footer put on Wildcats red in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL24?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL24</a>? ?<br><br>Read more: <a href="https://t.co/ANylYYvR64">https://t.co/ANylYYvR64</a> <a href="https://t.co/rSoWCcNlR9">pic.twitter.com/rSoWCcNlR9</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1655743221241376769?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Sarr is set to make the move with his parents to Australia in July to start his pre-season training with the club, in preparation for his debut on September 29 against the Tasmania JackJumpers.