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Olivier Sarr's journey to Kentucky had many plot twists

Olivier Sarr comes to UK after earning All-ACC honors last season at Wake Forest.
Olivier Sarr comes to UK after earning All-ACC honors last season at Wake Forest. (Chet White/UK Athletics)

Few players have experienced a path to Kentucky basketball with more twists and turns than the one traveled by Olivier Sarr.

Had an alternative reality unfolded when he was younger, hoops may not have been Sarr's game of choice or the Bluegrass State part of his future.

"I was better at soccer than basketball," Sarr said of his childhood in Bordeaux, France, where he was a talented young midfielder who idolized Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho.

"I was recruited by a professional team, but my dad hid the letter from that team and showed it to me two or three years ago. I think he kinda knew that I was going to be a little bit too tall to play midfield professionally in soccer. He made the right decision, even though I was a little bit upset."

Father, indeed, knew best.

Sarr has now grown to 7-feet tall and is currently in line to be the starting center for one of college basketball's elite programs this season. He was recently granted an appeal for immediate eligibility by the NCAA and the SEC after transferring from Wake Forest to Kentucky in the spring.

That process, sparked by the firing of Demon Deacons head coach Danny Manning, was not an easy one.

Speaking with reporters on Wednesday during a preseason Zoom video conference, Sarr spoke publicly about his highly publicized transfer for the first time.

After averaging 13.9 points and 9.0 rebounds per game last season en route to All-ACC honors, he considered entering the NBA Draft but decided that one more year at Wake Forest could help him develop his game and boost his stock.

That changed, however, when Wake Forest fired his head coach, Danny Manning.

"He was a great mentor for me," Sarr said.

Sarr decided to investigate his transfer options and received interest from a long list of suitors. One of them, Kentucky, proved to be an offer "I couldn't refuse. I had to make that decision."

Asked why the Wildcats were his eventual choice, Sarr said it came down to a chance to win a championship. He spoke of being willing to sacrifice personal accolades in order to help UK win its 9th national championship.

“I would say the biggest difference (between Wake Forest and Kentucky) is the culture here, the mindset," Sarr said. "It’s a winning culture. Not knocking on my old school or whatever, it’s just different. Kentucky has a successful history. It’s a great program. It has high expectations, and you can feel that as soon as you step on campus and as soon as you start practices."

In order to get on the floor for UK, Sarr had to endure what he described as a "tough" waiver process with the NCAA and the SEC while also dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic and the isolation it has caused.

His case dragged on for months, prompting some to question whether he would be able to play for the Cats this season... or ever. But the hardships already caused by the pandemic ultimately prompted the powers that be to loosen restrictions on transfers, and Sarr will be one of many to benefit from the leniency.

"To wait with my waiver, it was tough, even though Coach Cal helped me a lot, supported me," Sarr said. "Everyone in the organization here helped me a lot. They told me to stay positive at all times. I did it, but honestly, sometimes it was tough. But it paid (off) and now it's good."

He is now being viewed as the possible key to the Cats' title hopes as he brings a proven inside presence to a roster that lost all but one rotation player (Keion Brooks Jr.) from last season.

That's a lot of pressure to put on a newcomer, who will be surrounded by a typically young group of teammates that form Calipari's latest No. 1 recruiting class.

"It's something that I hear about," Sarr said. "... But all I can focus on is my work, focus on helping the team as much as I can at practice, getting the guys ready to face whoever we face every night, get ready to battle, and share my experience to make the team better as a whole. Then we'll see the impact at the end of the season."

Sarr closed out the 2019-20 season with a strong run of games before Covid-19 shut down the postseason. He scored 30 points and grabbed 17 rebounds against Notre Dame, posted 25 points against Duke, recorded a double-double (12 and 11) against North Carolina, and had 20 points against Pitt in his final game with the Demon Deacons.

He said Wednesday that he aims to bring rebounding and a post presence to the Cats first and foremost, but added that his mid-range scoring ability will also be on display. Sarr is currently modeling his game after former UK All-American Anthony Davis and a few other NBA legends like Hakeem Olajuwon and Tim Duncan.

"He's a great defender who can guard one through five, and that's something I try to incorporate in my game," Sarr said of Davis.

"I also watch a lot of tape of Hakeem Olajuwon for his footwork, counter-moves, counter-to-counter moves, and all types of stuff. He was also a great defender, all-around player."


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