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Duke Blue Devils freshman forward Paolo Banchero could be the face of this year's NCAA Tournament. He's been sensational for the ninth-ranked Blue Devils during their run to the Elite Eight.
On the "Bill Simmons Podcast," Simmons said Banchero reminds him of former NBA player Juwan Howard during his early days with the Washington Bullets.
“He reminds me of a 2.0 version of him with more range,” Simmons said.
Duke freshman Paolo Banchero has starred
Bill Simmons said Duke's Paolo Banchero reminds him of Juwan Howard due to his versatility on the offense. It's a big compliment for Banchero, as some might not remember how effective Howard was during his early tenure with the Washington Bullets. Over a three-year stretch, Howard, the No. 5 pick in 1994, averaged 19.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.
One of the top recruits in the country, Banchero made his presence felt in wins over Kentucky and Gonzaga in November. The 6-foot-10, 250-pound freshman should be a top three pick in the NBA draft.
A versatile forward with the ability to score from all over, the 19-year-old has starred with each game Duke has won in March Madness.
In his three games in the NCAA Tournament, Banchero has averaged of 19.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game. He shot 55.0%, including 53.8% from 3-point range.
Not only does Banchero have the rare ability to score from multiple levels, he's also shown he can be a dangerous playmaker with the ball in his hands.
After a stretch in which the talented forward struggled with his shooting efficiency, Banchero has shown the game is slowing down recently. His numbers across the board have climbed with each game.
Duke (31-6), seeded No. 2 in the West, will face the 17th-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks (28-8), the No. 4 seed in the West, on Saturday in the Elite Eight.
The winner of the regional final advances to the Final Four in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Arkansas upset top-ranked and top-seeded Gonzaga 74-68 on Thursday to advance to its second consecutive Elite Eight.
Duke and Arkansas have met twice before in the NCAA Tournament, both times in the Final Four. Duke win 97-83 in a national semifinal in Denver, Colorado, in 1990. And Arkansas topped Duke 76-72 in the national championship game in Charlotte, North Carolina.
