Top Kentucky basketball recruiting target Paolo Banchero announced his commitment to Duke on Thursday afternoon.
Banchero _ a 6-foot-10 prospect in the 2021 class _ was one of the first players in that group to land a scholarship offer from the Wildcats last year and was arguably UK's No. 1 recruiting target in the class. He chose the Blue Devils over Kentucky, Tennessee, Arizona, Gonzaga and Washington.
UK had been seen as the possible favorite in recent months, while Tennessee looked like a prime contender following last week's commitment of Kennedy Chandler, a close friend of Banchero's and the No. 1 point guard in the 2021 class.
Rivals.com ranks Banchero as the No. 2 overall player in the 2021 class, and he's in the discussion to land at No. 1 in those rankings.
Kentucky hosted Banchero for a recruiting visit during Big Blue Madness weekend last October. UK coach John Calipari made multiple trips to Seattle to visit with Banchero and his family prior to the NCAA's travel ban on recruiting due to COVID-19 in March.
