Despite intense pressure, Paolo Banchero has been meeting the moment in Duke's run to Final Four
NEW ORLEANS — Paolo Banchero has learned to live with his burgeoning fame and the intense highs and lows that followed him throughout what will be his only season in college basketball.
He’s come a long way since November when the Duke freshman geeked out on social media after Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James mentioned his college debut against Kentucky on an Instagram story. In a few months, they'll be colleagues.
Banchero’s not a name-dropper, but he’ll share some of the big names that have left him online messages, including linebacker Micah Parsons, the Dallas Cowboys’ Defensive Rookie of the Year.
“He told me he was a huge Duke fan and to keep going,” Banchero told the Paste BN Network on the eve of the Blue Devils’ Elite Eight win over Arkansas in San Francisco. “I’ve had a lot of NBA and NFL players text me on social media. That’s taken me back a little.”
That fame has also come with a small fortune. As perhaps the face of college basketball this season – the brightest star on Mike Krzyzewski’s 42nd and final Duke team – name, image and likeness (NIL) deals have come fast and furious, from Yahoo Sports to video games.
Banchero, the ACC Freshman of the Year, wouldn't disclose the amount, but added, “I’m not going to lie, it’s definitely more money than I’ve ever seen growing up."
That fame and money come with strings attached: intense scrutiny that amplifies his mistakes on and off the court, forcing the freshman to experience all his growing pains in front of a national audience. There's intense pressure resting on his 6-foot-10, 250-pound frame, and that pressure will reach once-in-a-lifetime heights this weekend.
Saturday’s Final Four game at the New Orleans Superdome will feature a historic matchup between Duke and North Carolina, the first time either has faced the other in an NCAA Tournament, let alone a national semifinal. The programs have played 257 times and combined for 4,500 victories and 11 national championships.
Five of those national titles have come from the 75-year-old Krzyzewski, who owns a 50-49 record against UNC and will retire at the conclusion of this season.
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On Thursday, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper declared his state the center of the basketball universe.
No pressure, right?
"We all knew we were capable of this, and that's what we've worked for since June," said Banchero, who has a tattoo on the inside of his right forearm that reads: "Know pressure" with the letters "NO" inscribed in all capital letters. "So to finally be able to get to New Orleans and have a chance to play for a national championship is a blessing. I'm just proud of the way we came together."
Before they could come together, Banchero was responsible for almost tearing his team apart.
On Nov. 14, just two days after his 19th birthday, Banchero was charged with aiding and abetting DWI while riding in the back of a car he owned with Krzyzewski's grandson, Michael Savarino, as the driver.
Savarino was charged with DWI and arrested on the scene. Banchero was charged but not arrested.
Although not entirely accurate, the chants of "DUI" have followed him from arena to arena – a reminder of a mistake that could've cut his college career short.
"I think we all learned from it," said Banchero, who was disciplined but not suspended for any games. "You can't really say much about it, but we learned from it and handled it as a team. We moved on and we want to get on with our season."
He had a stretch of tough games starting against Virginia on Feb. 7 where he was held to a season-low nine points and took one shot in the second half during a 69-68 loss. Three times over the next six games his shooting average fell below 33%, culminating in a 2 of 13 performance in a rematch against Virginia later that month. His 3-point shooting was abysmal, hitting 3 of 20 over that stretch while his confidence suffered.
Even Coach K publicly commented on Banchero's struggles.
"These guys at times put a lot of pressure on themselves," he said. "You can get stuck in your own head.
The Blue Devils lost to North Carolina in Krzyzewski's final game at Cameron Indoor. Banchero and his teammates stood dejected on the bench as Coach K called their performance "unacceptable" in front of a disappointed crowd ready to celebrate his career.
"We were upset for the most part and disappointed with the way we had played in that game," Banchero said Thursday. "Just looking back on the film of that game, we as a team just feel like we didn't show up how we should have. And we're a much different team than we were back then. And we got rid of some of those bad habits that you saw in that game."
A week later, Duke fell to Virginia Tech in the ACC Tournament championship. Duke earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament but was a trendy pick to bow out early.
"It was really up to us," Banchero said. "And once we made that decision to fully commit, then everything kind of came easier. We started communicating more. We started playing defense, just being better overall as a team."
Banchero's growth is sometimes subtle. Take for example the ways he's answered questions from the media. Before the ACC title game, he was asked if he rather play UNC or Virginia Tech in the final.
His answer: "UNC."
He was asked again after the Blue Devils defeated Arkansas a night before the Tar Heels faced Saint Peters in the Elite Eight.
"You're not gonna get me this time!" he replied.
Duke is now five days from a national title, in large part thanks to the play of Banchero, who has averaged 18.5 points, 7 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.6 steals and a block over four NCAA Tournament wins.
He was at his best in the 78-73 win over Texas Tech in the Sweet 16 during a game that featured 11 ties and 13 lead changes and saw Duke score on 12 of its last 15 possession.
Banchero's 3-point shot with 2:57 remaining gave Duke a 69-68 lead and sparked a run that led to a trip to the Elite Eight. He finished with 22 points.
"I coach that guy!" Krzyzewski said to CBS about Banchero. "Holy mackerel!”
"It's like when great players just go," Krzyzewski said. "They just go, and the moment and the need take them to a place that a great player would love to be in, and that's where he was. I feel – I'm just so happy that I was there for that moment with him because it's his. It's his, but it benefited all of us."
Adam Smith contributed to the story
David Thompson is an award-winning reporter for the USA Today Network covering NC State and Duke athletics. He can be reached at dthompson1@gannett.com, at 828-231-1747, or on Twitter at @daveth89.