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Paolo Banchero is one of the best players in the class of 2021 as a consensus top-five recruit.
Banchero is one of the most coveted recruits in all of high school hoops, and Gonzaga, Duke, Tennessee, and Washington will all have assistants in to see him over the next week,
And now, Kentucky joins that list as assistants will be in tonight to see Benchero, per Jake Weingarten.
Kentucky and Washington will also send assistants in tonight for five-star junior Paolo Banchero, a source told @Stockrisers. https://t.co/4dj60Ef5wx
— Jake (@jakeweingarten) December 6, 2019
Banchero, a 6-9 power forward out of Seattle, Washington, has Kentucky high on his list and looks like one of, if not the most likely 2021 recruit to eventually pick the Wildcats.
“I am really high on Kentucky. They are a great school, great program,” said Banchero on KSR’s Sources Say Podcast.
Not long after, Banchero was on an official visit to Lexington back in October for Big Blue Madness.
247 Sports’ John Gershon evaluated Banchero and compared his game to former Wildcat and current Charlotte Hornet PJ Washington.
“Respectable size for post with decent length, wide shoulders and a very good frame. Strong for his age but has plenty of room to grow into frame. Best from high post where he can hit jumpers, take bigger defenders off dribble or use his outstanding vision to find cutters,” said Gershon. The next step for Banchero is becoming more of a stretch big option. Gershon even said that if he improves his efficiency from the perimeter, he would, “take game to next level and greatly impact his NBA upside.”
There were on-and-off rumors that Banchero would be open to reclassifying to the class of 2020, but it now seems that Paolo is firmly set in 2021.
“I think it’s pretty much been established that he’s going to stay 2021 and stay with his true grade,” said Banchero’s father in October.
Paolo shut down any talk of reclassification, and even rumors of a “silent commitment”, with this tweet.
for the last time! i am not reclassifying to 2020, don’t care who said otherwise u hearing it straight from me no if ands or but’s. 100% 2021 oh and i’m not “silently committed” anywhere so let’s shut that down too ♂️
— Paolo (Paul-Oh) (@Pp_doesit) October 23, 2019
It’s early, but it seems that Washington is the favorite for the Seattle native as of now as they have all the predictions in his current Crystal Ball. It doesn’t hurt their chances that both of Banchero’s parents were athletes for the Huskies either.
Kentucky and Washington have come against one another in more than one recruiting battle over the last few years, and it looks like this is another one that will get more heated as time goes on.
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