A poll of several NBA executives and scouts conducted by ESPN has seen Perth Wildcats’ NBL Next Star Alex Sarr maintain his status as the projected number one pick in the 2024 draft.

ESPN polled 20 NBA executives and scouts on several draft related topics, with Sarr receiving 12 votes to the question of “who do you expect will be the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft?”.

Draft expert Jeremy Woo noted that one of the main reasons for Sarr’s attractiveness as the first overall pick is his “youth, versatility as a mobile defender and perimeter-friendly forward -- coupled with the league-wide demand for tall, skilled frontcourt players”.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">New column: I asked a group of NBA scouts and execs their expectations for the 2024 draft, who will go No. 1, the potential two-day draft format and more. Here’s what we learned: <a href="https://t.co/HupiB97yG5">https://t.co/HupiB97yG5</a></p>&mdash; Jeremy Woo (@JeremyWoo) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeremyWoo/status/1745075450282455219?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Sarr is set to be re-evaluated ahead of Perth’s Saturday night clash with the South East Melbourne Phoenix after he suffered a minor hip strain in late December.

Despite the injury, Sarr is still projected to be the number one pick by ESPN, with reports this week suggesting the ailment is unlikely to negatively impact his draft stock.

Sarr has played a key role in the Wildcats’ rise to second on the ladder and is poised to be an important piece in the back end of the season as the club chases its 11^th championship.

Perth hosts South East Melbourne on Saturday night at 8pm AEDT in Perth’s annual Open Air game at RAC Arena. It will be broadcast on ESPN via Kayo.