Wake Forest center Olivier Sarr plans to transfer and could be just what Kentucky needs
The answer to Kentucky’s ongoing offseason question of who will fill the frontcourt void during the 2020-21 campaign might now be a little more clear.
Wake Forest center Olivier Sarr, who had been the subject of transfer rumors for the past week, confirmed to ESPN on Friday morning that he plans to enter his name in the NCAA transfer portal and apply for a waiver that would make him immediately eligible to play next season.
Sarr — a 7-foot, 255-pound junior from France — averaged 13.7 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.2 blocked shots per game. He had seven double-doubles in conference play this past season and scored 25 points in 30 minutes in Wake Forest’s victory over Duke in late February.
He just completed his third year at Wake Forest, which fired head coach Danny Manning last weekend. The Demon Deacons hired East Tennessee’s Steve Forbes as their new head coach Thursday, but Sarr informed the program that he will explore transfer opportunities.
ESPN analyst Jonathan Givony tweeted Friday morning that Sarr’s case “should be a pretty straightforward waiver request based on precedent and the circumstances of his coach’s firing.” Sarr told ESPN’s Jeff Borzello that he wanted to test the NBA Draft waters this spring but decided to stay in school after a conversation with Manning, who was unexpectedly let go just before the deadline for players to enter their names in the draft. Sarr also said that he has no plans to sit out a year in college and would look at playing next season overseas if the NCAA doesn’t grant his transfer request.
Sarr told ESPN that he was leaving open the option of returning to Wake Forest and would talk to Forbes before making a decision.
“It’s actually a tough decision,” Sarr said. “I want to give Wake Forest a chance and listen to what he has to say. I’m entering the transfer portal because I want to listen to all the options. I want to be able to pick my own coach, not have one chosen for me.”
Kentucky is still in need of an instant-impact big man following the departures of Nick Richards, EJ Montgomery and Nate Sestina from this past season’s team. The Wildcats will have incoming 6-9 power forward recruits Isaiah Jackson and Lance Ware, but neither of those players projects as true center. UK is also still recruiting four-star center Frank Anselem, but he is viewed as more of a long-term prospect unlikely to start right away for a team with national title aspirations.
Sarr would seemingly be a perfect fit for Kentucky’s needs, and UK fans were quick to pounce on social media when his name came up as a transfer option this week.
Kentucky fans flooded Sarr’s Instagram account with “BBN” messages, leading to a light-hearted response from the 21-year-old Frenchman, who was specifically asked about it by ESPN.
“I’ve never experienced anything like that; it was crazy,” Sarr said. “It was funny and all that, but it got to a point where it was a little bit too much. Some Wake fans replied. I loved the loyalty from the Deacon fans. I love them, I appreciate what they did for me for three years. But Kentucky fans are really eager and thirsty for players.
“From what I know, it’s a historical program. It’s one of the best programs in the country.”
This story was originally published May 1, 2020 at 9:46 AM.
