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Duke Basketball: Overall impact of landing five-star forward Paolo Banchero

By Tristan Freeman

DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 07: The Cameron Crazies cheer during the game between the Duke Blue Devils and the North Carolina Tar Heels at Cameron Indoor Stadium on March 07, 2020 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 07: The Cameron Crazies cheer during the game between the Duke Blue Devils and the North Carolina Tar Heels at Cameron Indoor Stadium on March 07, 2020 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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2020 NBA Draft
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA – MARCH 07: Vernon Carey Jr. #1 of the Duke Blue Devils (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

What Paolo Banchero brings to Duke Basketball

Few programs have had as much success with star forward prospects as the Blue Devils. They’ve numerous All-Americans, including Marvin Bagley Jr., Jahlil Okafor, Zion Williamson, and most recently, Vernon Carey Jr. who averaged 17.8 ppg and 8.8 rpg to lead the team.

Bigs usually lead Duke on offense but if the incoming freshmen recruiting rankings are an indicator, the guards (Jalen Johnson, DJ Stewart, and Jeremy Roach) will likely be leading the way. Freshmen forwards Mark Williams, Henry Coleman and Jaemyn Brakefield are all talented and potential future pros but none of them are surefire stars out the gate.

That won’t be the case for the team the year after with Banchero on board. The 6’11 forward is an elite offensive weapon, capable of scoring in every kind way at an efficient level, while already being above average in terms of both passing and defense. He can easily be the next Blue Devil to produce 20 ppg and 10 rpg averages in 2021-22, regardless of who else is on the roster.

Banchero’s ability to play both the power forward and center positions is huge for the Blue Devils, as he’ll be interchangeable with any other frontcourt player on the roster. So if a center emerges as a star, he can play at the four-spot and vice versa. Versatility is a big plus for players these days, and Banchero is one of the most versatile in the 2021 recruiting class.

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