Paolo Banchero to declare for NBA draft after one season with Duke Blue Devils

Duke's Paolo Banchero is leaping to the NBA after one season as a candidate to be the No. 1 overall draft pick.

Banchero announced his decision in a social media video Wednesday, with the school saying the freshman planned to hire an agent.

«It has always been a dream of mine to play at Duke, and it has always been a dream of mine to play in the NBA,» Banchero said. «Duke has prepared me for that on and off the court.… It has been a great journey and I'm blessed to be a part of The Brotherhood for life.»

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Banchero had been viewed as a likely one-and-done player even before he stepped foot on the Durham, North Carolina, campus from Seattle. Blessed with a strong frame, size and perimeter skills, Banchero went on to become a third-team All-America pick by the The Associated Press, and ranks No. 2 in ESPN's latest list of draft prospects.

The 6-foot-10, 250-pound Banchero recently was projected as the No. 3 overall pick in the latest mock draft by ESPN's Jonathan Givony.

The headliner on a talented recruiting class, Banchero averaged 17.2 points and 7.8 rebounds, cracking the 20-point mark 15 times while failing to reach double figures only twice in 39 games. He helped Duke reach now-retired Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski's record 13th Final Four while also winning the program's first outright Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title since 2006.

In a statement from the school, Krzyzewski said Banchero is «absolutely ready to attack the next phase» of his career.

«He is so dynamic, explosive and versatile — a model player in today's NBA game. He did whatever we asked at a very high level,» Krzyzewski said. «I loved having him and his family in our program and wish him all the best as his