The Paolo Effect
As the ACC regular season wraps up in the coming week, Bull City Hoops looks at the journey of Paolo Banchero.
Back when I was a kid in the 1990’s, incoming freshmen, even the most prized ones, were met with a patient eye. Bumps in the road were to be expected. Strength and good weight were usually an area of growth opportunity.
Sometimes, even the blue chip recruits could come off the bench and potentially work their way into the starting lineup, eventually.
Eventually is the key word there.
Fast forward to the current time. A five-star, elite recruit is anticipated to be one-and-done. Being an immediate impact player, especially in a Duke uniform, has become the expectation.
For someone like Paolo Banchero, he was expected to be the best player on Mike Krzyzewski’s last team. And he absolutely has been. Without a doubt.