Paolo Banchero joins rare company following NCAA Tournament debut

Duke freshman Paolo Banchero joined an elite group of former stars on Friday when he posted 17 points and 10 rebounds in a 78-61 win over Cal State Fullerton. He joined current NBA stars RJ Barrett and Jayson Tatum as the only Duke players in the Mike Krzyzewski era to record at least 15 points and 10 rebounds in their first NCAA Tournament game.

Banchero came to Duke as the No. 3 ranked player in the 2021 On3 Consensus, choosing the Blue Devils over Gonzaga, Kentucky and others. He is currently averaging 17 points and 7.8 rebounds over 34 games and is projected as a top five pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

The 2021-22 All-ACC selection and 2021-22 ACC Rookie of the Year helped lead Duke past Cal State Fullerton and will now face the winner of Friday’s game between Davidson and Michigan State. Paolo Banchero will look to chase more Duke records from a talented group of alumni in Mike Krzyzewski’s final NCAA Tournament run.

Mike Krzyzewski on Duke’s performance

Before heading to the locker room against Cal State Fullerton, Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski addressed his team’s performance in the first half. Despite leading the Titans 37-27 at the break, the shooting performance was not up to par in the eyes of Krzyzewski, praising CSU Fullerton in the process.

“They’re a veteran team,” Krzyzewski said. “They’re really playing hard on the defense, and it’s tough for us to get good looks. We had a couple [good shots] there at the end that we missed. Hopefully we can knock some down in the second half.”

The Blue Devils saw a 14-point lead dwindled down to six near the end of the half, but four consecutive points from Duke extended the lead back to double digits before the halftime buzzer. Eventually, Duke stretched its lead back out and was able to hold on for a comfortable win.

Duke finished the game with five scorers in double figures, led by Banchero’s 17. The others to reach the mark, all starters, included Wendell Moore Jr, AJ Griffin, Mark Williams and Jeremy Roach.

After an upset loss against North Carolina spoiled Krzyzewski’s final home game at Cameron Indoor Stadium and Virginia Tech upset them in the ACC Tournament final, Duke looks to send their Hall of Fame head coach off on a positive note.