Paolo Banchero

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]

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 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. Although he 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: 3[13]
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.

In his college debut, a 79–71 win against Kentucky, Banchero scored 22 points.[14] On November 15, Banchero earned his first Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Freshman of the Week honor.[15] On November 23, 2021, Banchero scored 28 points and 8 rebounds in a 107–81 victory against the Citadel.[16] He was named first-team All-ACC as well as ACC Rookie of the Year.[17] On March 15, 2022, Banchero was named a Third Team All-American.[18] During the 2022 NCAA tournament, Banchero performed well, including scoring 22 points against Texas Tech.[19] As a freshman, he averaged 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. On April 20, 2022, Banchero declared for the 2022 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.[20]

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 African-American descent on his mother’s side and is of Italian descent on his father's side.[5] In February 2020, he received Italian citizenship.[21]

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.[22]

• Duke Blue Devils bio
• USA Basketball bio