The owner of the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft is still to be determined by Sunday's NBA draft lottery. But the player taken with the top pick seems to be a near-lock.
French center Alexandre Sarr has been at the tops of NBA analysts' mock drafts for months. USA TODAY predicted he would be the first name off of the board as early as fourth months ago and stood by that prediction even after certain college players established themselves in this year's March Madness tournament.
Sarr, 19, played in Australia's National Basketball League this year and has stood out as one of the top prospects available in this year's draft class. With his tall frame, long wingspan and versatility on both sides of the court, he's made a strong case to be the first player taken in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Here's everything to know about the French standout hoping to become the second straight No. 1 pick out of his home country.
NBA DRAFT EVENTSHow to watch the 2024 NBA draft combine and lottery
Sarr was born in Bordeaux, France and grew up there and in Toulouse.
The French center joined Spanish team Real Madrid Baloncesto in 2019 and played two years for their youth team before joining the Overtime Elite league in Atlanta in 2021.
Last May, Sarr signed with the Perth Wildcats of Australia's National Basketball League (NBL) and played in Australia for the 2023-24 season.
NBA MOCK DRAFT:Donovan Clingan, Zach Edey climb board after March Madness
Sarr is 7 feet 1 inch tall and weighs 216 pounds, according to his NBL player page.
Sarr boasts a 7-foot-4.5-inch wingspan to pair with his 7-foot-1 height.
Sarr's father played professional basketball in France. He has a brother, Olivier, who signed a two-way contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2022.
Olivier Sarr made 15 appearances with the Thunder this NBA season.
This season, Sarr played 27 games and averaged 9.4 points, 0.9 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. He also averaged 17.3 minutes per game in the NBL, which plays 40-minute games (Four 10-minute quarters).
The NBA draft lottery is Sunday, May 12 at 8:30 p.m. ET.
HOW TO WATCH:Catch the NBA draft lottery with a subscription to ESPN+
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