Paolo Napoleon James Banchero (born November 12, 2002) is an American-Italian 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.
| No. 5 – Duke Blue Devils | |
|---|---|
| Position | Power forward |
| League | Atlantic Coast Conference |
| Personal information | |
| Born | November 12, 2002 Seattle, Washington |
| Nationality | Italian / American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
| Listed weight | 250 lb (113 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | O'Dea (Seattle, Washington) |
| College | Duke (2021–present) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
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 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]
| 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: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 97
| ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 2 247Sports: 2 ESPN: 4 | ||||||
Sources:
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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.[13]
References
- ^ a b Glass, Gregg (March 2, 2004). "Flashback: Rhonda Smith Franklin, Class of 1992". The Seattle Times. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
- ^ Egan, Chris (February 13, 2020). "O'Dea basketball star Paolo Banchero getting national attention". KING-TV. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
- ^ a b Allen, Aaron (February 12, 2020). "Paolo Banchero's Humility And Leadership Has Led Him To A Stellar Season". Seattle Medium. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
- ^ "Mercer Island student nationally ranked in two sports". Mercer Island Reporter. May 8, 2017. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ Divens, Jordan (April 19, 2018). "2017-18 MaxPreps Boys Basketball Freshman All-American Team". MaxPreps. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
- ^ Divens, Jordan (April 18, 2019). "2018-19 MaxPreps Boys Basketball Sophomore All-American Team". MaxPreps. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Divens, Jordan (March 30, 2020). "MaxPreps 2019-20 Boys Basketball Junior All-American Team". MaxPreps. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ Medcalf, Myron (August 20, 2020). "Duke gets commitment from Paolo Banchero". ESPN. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
- ^ Evans, Jayda (March 2, 2020). "First, state for O'Dea's Paolo Banchero. Next, the world?". The Seattle Times. Retrieved April 26, 2020.