Potential NBA top draft pick Alex Sarr has declared he has no desire to sit out any portion of the NBL season and will stay with the Perth Wildcats until their championship campaign is over.
Sarr is one of the intriguing stories of the NBL season as NBA clubs repeatedly fly scouts to Australia to watch him in action. He is widely tipped to be one of the first players drafted, and some experts have him projected as the No.1 selection.
That hype and expectation has prompted some people to believe he will be advised to leave Perth in before the end of the season to avoid injury. LaMelo Ball and Josh Giddey are examples of NBL Next Stars who didn’t complete the season before being drafted as high picks.
But Sarr said he will be in Australia until the Wildcats’ season is over.
“Right now we are winning and my goal is to make the play-offs and get the furthest I can,” Sarr said.
“Even outside of the draft, it’s cool. I’m having fun out there and competing for something. It’s the first time in my life where I’m part of a league where I’m really trying to win something at the end. Outside of anything happening next year, I’m having fun playing every night here.
“When I’m on the court, it’s fun. I love playing in The Jungle.”
While scouts are keeping a close eye on Sarr, they’re not engaging in any other forms of contact. He said the NBA representatives were allowing him to focus on playing and they never have any other interactions while in Perth.
Sarr said coming to Perth to play against men instead of taking the college path had significantly improved his game.
“I’ve gotten stronger and with my stamina, I can play longer with a higher motor,” he said.
“There’s adjustments when you come to a pro game. I think practising against all the guys, it gets me ready for the game. It’s not that much of a jump to me when I get into games because I’ve been practising against even better players every day.”
Corey Webster took a significant step in his recovery from an ankle injury by training fully on Tuesday. Webster hasn’t played since November 6 but is now edging towards a return.
The Wildcats will attempt to increase their winning streak to seven games against Illawarra on Friday night.
