Who is Paolo Banchero, the number 1 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft? Bio, College stats, profile…
The Orlando Magic were expected by many to choose Jabari Smith ahead of the draft, but went with Paolo Banchero instead.
A surprise to many in the league, the Orlando Magic selected Duke forward Paolo Banchero with the first pick in the 2022 NBA Draft on Thursday night. Throughout the entire draft process, the Magic were heavily expected to go with Auburn forward Jabari Smith with the top choice, and only started to change in the final minutes ahead of the Magic going on the clock.
Referred to as the most versatile player on the draft, Banchero is expected to bring some culture to Orlando, and is certainly considered to be the best offensive player in this draft class.
Follow along as we continue to bring you the full list with every pick of the 2022 NBA Draft from the Barclays Center.
Banchero stats and bio
19-year-old Banchero is the second No. 1 pick in the last four years for the Blue Devils, and the fifth top overall pick in the history of the program.
The Seattle native is a 6-foot-10, 250-pound forward, who averaged 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists in 33 minutes over 39 games for the Blue Devils.
He was fourth in rebounds in the ACC, recording 12 double-doubles this past season. Additionally, before declaring for the draft, he was named the ACC Rookie of the Year and a member of the All-ACC first team last season.
Banchero’s mom, Rhonda, who played college basketball at Washington, was and still is the all-time scoring leader for the women’s program. She played six seasons with the Sacramento Monarchs, and had a big role in building Banchero’s persistence as a basketball player.