Wake Forest Photo
Will Olivier Sarr ever get his waiver granted by the Southeastern Conference so he can play the season at Kentucky? Who knows? It seems like making this decision is even harder than watching a replay of Chris Rodriguez getting into the end zone at Auburn a few weeks ago and still ruling he didn’t score.
But if the Wake Forest transfer is eligible, what can he add to the team? That’s a question I posed to former UK assistant coach Kenny Payne before he left to become an assistant coach with the New York Knicks.
“He is going to bring the experience, ability to score the ball in multiple ways, rebounding and shot blocking any team needs,” Payne said.
Payne praised the way former Wake Forest coach Danny Manning developed Sarr’s talent but says he’s not hit a plateau yet.
“There is a lot left in him. He was one of the best bigs in the conference (last year) but he can still do more,” Payne said.
Sarr will bring intangibles any team needs to go with his talents if he gets to play.
“He’s a young man who is driven, humble and fits in with all the other guys that come here in that they are seeking the path to become their best,” said Kentucky assistant coach Joel Justus about Sarr. “That’s such a mature approach for young people to have and that will hopefully rub off on some of our younger kids here.”
