NCAA Basketball: 10 best players from state of Washington of last decade

3. Paolo Banchero – Duke

Mike Krzyzewski’s final season was a spectacle and Banchero playing a starring role on the court for that season. A 6’10 forward from Seattle, Banchero was a 5-star recruit ranked by some as the best freshman prospect last season. He played his one and only collegiate year at Duke and did a pretty fantastic job defending that top recruiting billing.

That impact freshman season saw Banchero average 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game for the Blue Devils. He shot a decent 33% clip from outside while being the leading scorer and rebounder on a talented Duke team. He scored a career-high 28 points against The Citadel early in the season before leading the Blue Devils to their first Final Four in seven years. Unfortunately for Banchero, who had a 20-point, 10-rebound effort in the Final Four, their storybook ending was ruined by rival North Carolina.

The top scorer in the ACC, Banchero was a Second Team All-American and was named ACC Rookie of the Year. He was among the best players in the nation during his only collegiate season and spearheaded that run to the Final Four. A few months later, he became the first overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft and will continue his basketball career with the Orlando Magic this upcoming season.