Recruiting Report: Paolo Banchero (2021)
Class of 2021 forward 6’7 Paolo Banchero put on a show during the NW Premier Showcase in Seattle Washington. I got a chance to check out the big man when they played Eastern Washington Elite Blue.
When you think of the average 14 year old kid. You don’t think of somebody already 6’7 and about 200 pounds. Well this isn’t the average kids and he doesn’t have just average skill. This young man displays excellent footwork, a fierce competitive attitude, aggressive on both end of the court and a humble demeanor. Anybody who has had the chance to see this young man will say the same thing.
Playing for Seattle Rotary will afford this young man great opportunists to pout his skill on the main stage and in front of many college coaches. Seattle Rotary is known to showcase some of the top talent in the state of Washington. Paolo has been apart of the Rotary family from an early age and has blossomed right in front of our eyes.
In the game against Eastern Washington Elite Blue, what stood out to me is his patience on offense. On the offensive side he didn’t forced shots and when he got the ball he made solid and aggressive moves to the basket. The Seattle Rotary guards could sense a mismatch from the beginning of the game. On the defensive end Paolo was definitely a force in the middle. Snatching rebound, blocking shots and forcing penetration to seize 7-10 feet away from the basket out of fear of rejection.
Paolo received his first Division 1 offer this month from The University of Montana Grizzlies. Going into his freshman year you usually don’t hear of recruitment that early unless they are a special. With the likes of SEATTLE U, SIMON FRASER, SPU, PSU, CAL STATE and other schools that were in Bellevue I am sure this is the first of many.
Here is some footage of Paolo Banchero.