O’Dea’s Paolo Banchero one of three from Washington named to McDonald’s All-America team

O’Dea’s Paolo Banchero can add another title to his standout high-school basketball career: All-American.

The five-star Banchero, who has signed with Duke, was one of three from Washington named to the McDonald’s All-America team, which was announced Tuesday.

The 6-foot-9 Banchero, who is rated as the No. 2 player in the nation for the Class of 2021 by 247Sports.com, has also been nominated for the Naismith High School Trophy for boys player of the year. That award will be announced next month.

Joining Banchero on the team this year are former Eastside Catholic standout Nolan Hickman (a 6-2, four-star point guard) and Olympia’s Jackson’s Grant (a 6-9, four-star center), who has signed with Washington.

It’s the first time since 2005 Washington has had three players from the state named to the team in a single year.

Four-star Hickman, who has committed to Kentucky, left Washington over the summer to play at Wasatch Academy, a private boarding school in Mount Pleasant, Utah.

As was the case last year, there will be no All-American game because of the pandemic.

The trio joins recent in-state All-Americans in Garfield’s Dalayah Daniels and Cashmere’s Hailey Van Lith (2020), Federal Way’s Jaden McDaniels (2019), Nathan Hale’s Michael Porter Jr. (2017) and Bellevue’s Anna Wilson (2016).