Paolo Banchero

Paolo Napoleon James Banchero (born November 12, 2002) is an American-Italian-Guarreo college basketball player for the Duke Blue Devils of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). He was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2021 class.

Paolo Banchero
No. 5 – Duke Blue Devils
PositionPower forward
LeagueAtlantic Coast Conference
Personal information
Born (2002-11-12) November 12, 2002
Seattle, Washington
NationalityItalian / American
Listed height6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight250 lb (113 kg)
Career information
High schoolO'Dea
(Seattle, Washington)
CollegeDuke (2021–present)
Career highlights and awards

Early life

Banchero reached a height of 3 feet (0.91 m) at 15 months of age.[1] In his childhood, he played basketball and American football and took part in track.[2] He grew up playing basketball at Rotary Boys and Girls Club of Seattle, drawing inspiration from his mother, who played professionally. In seventh grade, Banchero grew from 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) to 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m).[3] He was ranked among the top 50 eighth-graders nationally in both basketball and football.[4]

High school career

In his first year at O'Dea High School in Seattle, Banchero played football, as the backup quarterback on the state championship team, as well as basketball.[5] As a freshman on the basketball team, he averaged 14.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.[6] In his sophomore season, Banchero averaged 18.2 points, 10.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game, leading O'Dea to the Class 3A state championship, where he was named most valuable player.[7] As a junior, he averaged 22.6 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.6 blocks per game for the Class 3A runners-up, earning Washington Gatorade Player of the Year and MaxPreps National Junior of the Year honors.[8][9] Banchero was named to the McDonald's All-American Game and Jordan Brand Classic rosters.[10]

Recruiting

Banchero was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2021 class. He has received offers from top NCAA Division I programs, including Duke and Kentucky, most recruiting analysts predicted that he would commit to Washington.[11] Despite the predictions, on August 20, 2020, Banchero committed to playing college basketball for Duke.[12]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Paolo Banchero
PF		 Seattle, WA O'Dea (WA) 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Aug 20, 2020 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 97
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 2  247Sports: 2  ESPN: 4
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Duke 2021 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  • "2021 Duke Blue Devils Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  • "2021 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved September 22, 2021.

    College career

    In his collegiate debut, a 79–71 win against Kentucky, Banchero scored 22 points.[13]

    Personal life

    Banchero's mother, Rhonda (née Smith), played college basketball for Washington, leaving as the program's all-time scoring leader. She was a third-round selection in the 2000 WNBA draft and played professionally in the American Basketball League and overseas, before becoming a basketball coach at Holy Names Academy in Seattle.[1][3] Banchero's father, Mario, and his uncle played college football for Washington. His parents met while attending the University of Washington.[11]

    Banchero is of Italian descent on his father's side.[5] In February 2020, he received Italian citizenship.[14]

    On the morning of November 14, 2021, Banchero was charged with aiding and abetting DWI after Duke teammate Michael Savarino, grandson of coach Mike Krzyzewski, was arrested on DWI charges. He is due to appear in court at a later date.[15]

    References
    1. Glass, Gregg (March 2, 2004). "Flashback: Rhonda Smith Franklin, Class of 1992". The Seattle Times. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
    2. Egan, Chris (February 13, 2020). "O'Dea basketball star Paolo Banchero getting national attention". KING-TV. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
    3. Allen, Aaron (February 12, 2020). "Paolo Banchero's Humility And Leadership Has Led Him To A Stellar Season". Seattle Medium. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
    4. "Mercer Island student nationally ranked in two sports". Mercer Island Reporter. May 8, 2017. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
    5. Bennett, Brian (July 30, 2019). "He goes by Paolo (Banchero), and his game may make him a household name". The Athletic. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
    6. Divens, Jordan (April 19, 2018). "2017-18 MaxPreps Boys Basketball Freshman All-American Team". MaxPreps. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
    7. Divens, Jordan (April 18, 2019). "2018-19 MaxPreps Boys Basketball Sophomore All-American Team". MaxPreps. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
    8. Joyce, Nathan (March 26, 2020). "O'Dea's Paolo Banchero named Gatorade player of the year for Washington". The Seattle Times. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
    9. Divens, Jordan (March 30, 2020). "MaxPreps 2019-20 Boys Basketball Junior All-American Team". MaxPreps. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
    10. Joyce, Nathan (February 23, 2021). "O'Dea's Paolo Banchero one of three from Washington named to McDonald's All-America team". The Seattle Times. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
    11. Parrish, Gary (July 31, 2019). "Duke, Kentucky and UNC are recruiting Paolo Banchero, but family ties to Washington make his choice tough". CBS Sports. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
    12. Medcalf, Myron (August 20, 2020). "Duke gets commitment from Paolo Banchero". ESPN. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
    13. "Coach K wins Garden finale as Duke tops Kentucky 79-71". ESPN. Associated Press. November 9, 2021. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
    14. Evans, Jayda (March 2, 2020). "First, state for O'Dea's Paolo Banchero. Next, the world?". The Seattle Times. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
    15. Borzello, Jeff (November 16, 2021). "Duke basketball player Michael Savarino, grandson of coach Mike Krzyzewski, faces DWI charges along with Paolo Banchero". ESPN. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
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