MOUILLERON-LE-CAPTIF (France) - France tipped off their preparation campaign for FIBA EuroBasket 2025 with an 81-75 win over Montenegro, and it was rising star Alex Sarr who stole the spotlight.
The 20-year-old center looked comfortable and confident in his senior debut for Les Bleus, finishing with 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field – including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc – along with 4 rebounds and a team-high efficiency rating of 21 in just 14 minutes of action.
The Washington Wizards big man and #2 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft registered the fifth-highest scoring mark in a debut, only behind the likes of Robert Busnel (30 points), Bob Riley (25 points), as well as Appolo Faye and Victor Wembanyama (20 points each).
"I just want to take what the game gives me. It's about balancing spacing out and rolling to the rim," said Sarr. "I think I bring versatility, both defensively and offensively. Defending on the perimeter or protecting the rim. Playing inside-out on offense."
Nadir Hifi added 14 points in 16 minutes, while Bilal Coulibaly chipped in 10 points and 3 assists. Theo Maledon and Sylvain Francisco also contributed 7 points apiece in a balanced showing from the hosts.
Montenegro leaned heavily on veteran center Nikola Vucevic, who collected 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists in 32 minutes. Marko Simonovic added 14 points and 5 boards, while Igor Drobnjak provided 10 points and 6 rebounds.
Team | Record | Win % |
|---|---|---|
Italy | 2-0 | 100% |
Lithuania | 1-0 | 100% |
France | 1-0 | 100% |
Serbia | 1-0 | 100% |
Portugal | 1-0 | 100% |
Israel | 1-1 | 50% |
Poland | 1-1 | 50% |
Estonia | 1-1 | 50% |
Spain | 0-1 | 0% |
Georgia | 0-1 | 0% |
Montenegro | 0-1 | 0% |
Czechia | 0-1 | 0% |
Iceland | 0-2 | 0% |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | 0-3 | 0% |
FIBA