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With March Madness over, college basketball stars will focus on the 2022 NBA draft. One of those stars is expected to be Paolo Banchero, who will look to overcome his Final Four loss and secure a top pick.
The Duke Blue Devils' 81-77 loss is expected to be the end of Banchero's time in college basketball. While the season was a mix of good and bad, his last month of the season has many people high on his potential.
NBA draft expert Mick Schmitz's evaluated Banchero as a top draft pick. He wrote about the prospect for an ESPN article which included the Detroit Pistons taking him in a mock draft.
One of the main issues was the evaluation of Banchero's defense.
"But for the teams that were already concerned about Banchero's defensive impact – preferring the two-way play of Jabari Smith and Chet Holmgren – Saturday's heartbreaking loss to UNC likely didn't help change their mind," Schmitz wrote.
While the NBA does not play defense at the same level as in years past, players still need to be able to play great defense when the games are most important. Banchero's defense is something other scouts have evaluated as a weakness as well.
Still, his offensive skills are good enough to make him a threat for whichever team drafts him. Banchero's March Madness performance was something of note for NBA scouts.
Paolo Banchero's March Madness awards and success will be something of note for NBA scouts
The Duke Blue Devils reached the Final Four primarily due to Paolo Banchero's performance in the earlier rounds. While his defense was not at an elite level throughout the tournament, his scoring and clutch plays were something that will appeal to NBA scouts.
Banchero earned praise from scouts for his overall showing in the NCAA Tournament. He also received multiple honors for his run.
The NCAA All-Tournament team recognition goes along with his West region MVP award and his West region team selection. The question scouts and teams will have to ask is whether they believe he will continue to play at that level in the NBA.
If all the top players in the draft play at the level they did during the NCAA Tournament, Banchero could be the best of the bunch.
