When Paolo Banchero created his final list of nine schools he'd choose from in September, the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats were nowhere to be found. Fast forward to Saturday night, the five-star power forward said that he's adding UA to the finalists on his Twitter account.Ìý
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ head coach Sean Miller reportedly offered Banchero a scholarship at some point on Saturday, per .Ìý
The other schools in the running to land Banchero are Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Duke, Georgetown, Baylor, Memphis, Washington and Gonzaga.Ìý
I will be adding the University of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ to my final list of schoolsâ¤ï¸ðŸ’™ðŸ»â¬‡ï¸
— Paolo (Paul-Oh)🇮🇹 (@Pp_doesit)
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The 6-foot-9-inch, 235-pound Banchero is finishing his junior season at Seattle's O'Dea High School, and is rated as the top power forward for the 2021 recruiting class, per . Banchero is also considered the top prospect from Washington and the fourth-best prospect nationally.
Unfortunately for ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, the coronavirus pandemic has put in-person recruiting on pause until further notice so it's unclear when Banchero will visit the UA campus. He officially visited North Carolina in September; Kentucky, Tennessee and Duke in October, along with Gonzaga in January.Ìý
Banchero, whose father hails from Italy, , but will return for O'Dea for another season. Banchero averaged 23 points and 11 rebounds per game in 2020, leading O'Dea to a Class 3A state championship. Banchero earned Metro League Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year honors.Ìý
Contact sports content producer Justin Spears at 573-4312 or jspears@tucson.com. On Twitter @justinesports
Justin Spears
Sports Reporter
