While Alexandre Sarr did not emerge from the FIBA U19 World Cup with a gold medal around his neck, he can take some solace in the fact his performances at the high-profile tournament have boosted his stock ahead of next year’s NBA Draft.

The Perth NBL24 Next Star played a key role in a French side that lost just two games for the entire competition – both to Spain – and fell in the gold medal match in overtime.

He averaged 7.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, a pair of blocks and 1.6 steals per game in 23 minutes over the course of the tournament, but ESPN draft expert Jonathan Givony writes Sarr’s rise comes down to the more than just basic metrics.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Alex Sarr’s <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FIBAU19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FIBAU19</a> Basketball World Cup campaign has come to a close, with France going down to Spain in an OT thriller! <br><br>Sarr was a defensive beast throughout the <a href="https://twitter.com/NextGenHoops?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NextGenHoops</a> tournament, averaging 7.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 2 blocks. ? <a href="https://t.co/Cqg8CEkpJ0">pic.twitter.com/Cqg8CEkpJ0</a></p>&mdash; Perth Wildcats (@PerthWildcats) <a href="https://twitter.com/PerthWildcats/status/1676153235126775808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 4, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“While Sarr’s productivity and consistency didn’t always jump off the page, his mobility, versatility and talent certainly did,” Givony wrote.

“Giving him one of the highest ceilings of any big man in the 2024 class, Sarr’s combination of length (7-foot-5 wingspan), fluidity and instincts give him unlimited potential on the defensive end.

“Offensively, Sarr doesn’t yet have a consistent means of scoring … but the fluidity he shows creating from the perimeter with impressive spin moves driving both left and right is notable, as was the huge three-pointer he confidently converted from the corner late in the championship game.”

After initially being slated as the 19^th pick in ESPN’s first mock following the 2023 NBA Draft, Givony now has Sarr ranked 13^th.

“On the French side, Sarr is athletic and has great potential,” tournament ambassador and NBA legend Dirk Nowitzki stated of the Perth recruit at the conclusion of the tournament.