Kentucky lands Wake Forest transfer Olivier Sarr

Wake Forest center Olivier Sarr announced his commitment to Kentucky on Wednesday afternoon.

Sarr, a 7-footer from France, averaged 13.7 points and 9.0 rebounds for the Demon Deacons this past season and is seen as one of the top transfers in the country. He just completed his junior year and would need a waiver from the NCAA to play right away at Kentucky next season, but Sarr should have a case to be granted immediate eligibility after Wake Forest fired coach Danny Manning last month.

Kentucky was in dire need of at least one more post player for next season following the departures of Nick Richards, EJ Montgomery and Nate Sestina this spring. Sarr, who announced his intentions to transfer last week, was the best-case scenario to fill that frontcourt void in Lexington.

Kentucky also has signed a pair of 6-9 power forward recruits, Isaiah Jackson and Lance Ware, for next season. The Wildcats will continue to look for other frontcourt options — such as four-star center Frank Anselem — to bolster next season’s roster, but Sarr should be a shoo-in to be the starting center.

Sarr announced his intentions to transfer to Kentucky in an Instagram post.

“I have decided to finish my career at the University of Kentucky and take on this challenge,” he said to end the post. “I want to thank everyone for their kindness and respect in coming to this decision. I will always be a fan of Wake Forest. BBN, I can’t wait to get started.”

Rivals.com national analyst Corey Evans told the Herald-Leader earlier this week adding Sarr would be “the ideal scenario” for Kentucky’s frontcourt needs. Sarr played 26.7 minutes per game as Wake Forest’s starting center this past season, and he turned in some major performances against top competition, including a 25-point showing in a win over Duke in late February. Four days after that game, he tallied 30 points and 17 rebounds in a victory over Notre Dame.