Paolo Banchero Coverage

Duke signee Cooper Flagg wins Gatorade Boys Basketball Player of the Year award

Former Duke and Orlando Magic player Paolo Banchero surprised Cooper Flagg with the announcement of the award.

Mark Bergin, WRAL senior multiplatform producer

Welter: I don't care what the analytics say, I'm taking Paolo Banchero No.1 in the NBA Draft

The computer might tell you to take Jabari Smith Jr. or Chet Holmgren No. 1 in the NBA Draft, but Duke's Paolo Banchero is a star and that cannot be overlooked.

Pat Welter, WRAL multimedia journalist

Carrawell: If I've got the number one pick, I'm taking Paolo

Duke associate head coach Chris Carrawell says Paolo Banchero should go number one overall in the draft and shares evaluations on the rest of Duke's prospects.

The case for Duke's Paolo Banchero to go No. 1 overall in the NBA Draft

Pat Welter lays out the case for Duke's Paolo Banchero to go No. 1 in the NBA draft with some help from Banchero himself and Duke associate head coach Chris Carrawell.

Giglio: How big of a leap can Banchero make from the 3-point line?

Joe Giglio breaks down how Paolo Banchero's game fits into the NBA

Five Duke players, two from NC State invited to 2022 NBA Draft Combine

Duke players Paolo Banchero, AJ Griffin, Trevor Keels, Wendell Moore Jr. and Mark Williams received invites to the 2022 NBA Combine. NC State guards Dereon Seabron and Terquavion Smith also received invites.

Mark Bergin, WRAL senior multiplatform producer

F1 reporter Martin Brundle confuses Paolo Banchero with Patrick Mahomes at Miami Grand Prix

Formula One race car commentator and former race car driver Martin Brundle thought he was interviewing Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes when he was really interviewing former Duke star Paolo Banchero.

Mark Bergin, WRAL senior multiplatform producer

Duke forward Paolo Banchero declares for 2022 NBA Draft

Duke forward Paolo Banchero is projected to be a lottery pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

Mark Bergin, WRAL senior multiplatform producer

One more Final Four: Duke beats Arkansas, will play UNC

Duke has continued to play better and better as the NCAA Tournament goes on and the Blue Devils cruised to a 78-69 win over 5-seed Arkansas in the West Region final on Saturday night. Duke shot nearly 55% en route to reaching Mike Krzyzewski's 13th Final Four in his last season as head coach.

Lauren Brownlow, WRALSportsFan columnist/reporter

Duke advances to Elite Eight with 78-73 win over Texas Tech

Mike Krzyzewski's final season continues as Duke knocked off 3-seed Texas Tech with a 78-73 win. Paolo Banchero led all scorers with 22 points and the Blue Devils shot nearly 71% against the nation's top defense in the second half.

Lauren Brownlow, WRALSportsFan columnist/reporter

Brownlow's GIFs: We don't talk about Carolina-Duke in the Final Four

If we talk about Carolina and Duke meeting in the Final Four, then it won't happen. That's probably not true, but it does seem like the stars have aligned against them meeting for a long time now. Besides, writes Lauren Brownlow, the two will each have to win multiple games to get there, starting with tough tests in the Sweet 16. Brownlow breaks it down, with GIFs!

Lauren Brownlow, WRALSportsFan columnist/reporter

Brownlow: Duke exorcised its demons, and Mike Krzyzewski and his players got to share a moment of joy

Duke had to overcome its own demons to advance to the Sweet 16, but more importantly, Duke finally had a moment of triumph that Mike Krzyzewski's team and Krzyzewski himself will all look back fondly on no matter how the season ends.

Lauren Brownlow, WRALSportsFan columnist/reporter

Duke makes plays down the stretch to survive 7-seed Michigan State, 85-76

The knock on Duke, especially after the ACC Tournament, was that when things got tough, Duke got rattled. The Blue Devils decided to vanquish that narrative on Sunday night as it faced a 5-point deficit with 5:10 remaining and overcame it to advance to Mike Krzyzewski's 26th Sweet 16, beating Michigan State 85-76.

Lauren Brownlow, WRALSportsFan columnist/reporter

Duke rolls to 78-61 win over Cal State Fullerton, advances to second round

Duke wasn't perfect, but the No. 2 seed Blue Devils pulled away from Cal State Fullerton in the second half for a 78-61 win.

Lauren Brownlow, WRALSportsFan columnist/reporter

March Madness is here! Everything college basketball fans need to know about Selection Sunday

The 68-team men's field for the NCAA Tournament is set to get announced at 6 p.m. ET Sunday.

Mark Bergin, WRAL senior multiplatform producer

Duke advances to ACC championship game with 80-76 win over Miami

Duke trailed 4-seed Miami by as many as 11 points in the first half, but the top-seeded Blue Devils were able to prevail 80-76. A.J. Griffin had 21 points, Paolo Banchero added 18 and Wendell Moore Jr. added 17. Duke will face the winner of the second ACC Tournament semifinal between UNC and Virginia Tech.

Lauren Brownlow, WRALSportsFan columnist/reporter

Duke survives Syracuse scare, moves on to ACC semifinals

Top-seeded Duke, playing in its first game since losing Coach K's home finale to North Carolina last Saturday, got all it could handle from a short-handed Syracuse team but survived to move on to the semifinals with an 88-79 win.

Lauren Brownlow, WRALSportsFan columnist/reporter

Duke's Banchero, Williams win ACC awards; UNC's Bacot lands on all-conference team

The ACC men's basketball awards were unveiled for the 2021-2022 season on Monday.

Brownlow: Everything you need to know about the ACC Player of the Year race

The ACC Player of the Year race is coming down the stretch, and it appears to be down to three: UNC's Armando Bacot, Wake Forest's Alondes Williams and Duke's Paolo Banchero. Lauren Brownlow breaks down the stats, the cases for and against and more.

Lauren Brownlow, WRALSportsFan columnist/reporter

No. 4 Duke wins eighth straight road game at Pitt, 86-56

No. 4 Duke cruises to an 86-56 win in Coach K's final ACC road game. Trevor Keels poured in 27 points while Paolo Banchero added 21. Duke shot nearly 60% from the floor.

Lauren Brownlow, WRALSportsFan columnist/reporter

Williams' career night propels No. 7 Duke to 97-72 win at Syracuse

No. 9 Duke shot 60% in the first half and led by as many as 30 points in a dominant 97-72 win at Syracuse. Mark Williams' career-high 28 points led the way, while Paolo Banchero had his first 20-point game since January.

Lauren Borwnlow, WRALSportsFan columnist/reporter

No. 7 Duke holds off Virginia on the road, 65-61

No. 7 Duke won its fifth straight game and sixth straight on the road as it edged Virginia in Charlottesville 65-61. Duke's A.J. Griffin scored 10 of his 13 points in the game's final 3:34 to help Duke pull away.

Lauren Brownlow, WRALSportsFan columnist/reporter

No. 9 Duke cruises past Florida State for fourth straight win, 88-70

No. 9 Duke had a sloppy start yet again at home in Mike Krzyzewski's penultimate home game, but they got it together and cruised to an 88-70 win.

Lauren Brownlow, WRALSportsFan columnist/reporter

No. 7 Duke pulls away in the second half to win fifth straight road game 72-61 at BC

It was close throughout much of the first half in Chestnut Hill, but No. 7 Duke pulled away at the end of the first half and stretched it into the second for a 72-61 win. Five Blue Devils scored in double figures.

Lauren Brownlow, WRALSportsFan columnist/reporter

Trevor Keels' 23 second-half points lead Duke to 82-64 win at Clemson

Trevor Keels did not play in the first meeting between Duke and Clemson earlier this year. But he was this time, and the freshman guard scored 23 of his 25 points in the second half to help lead No. 7 Duke to an 82-64 win at Clemson.

Lauren Brownlow, WRALSportsFan columnist/reporter