Paolo Banchero trolls teammate Cole Anthony about missing NCAA Tournament as March Madness looms

Orlando Magic teammates Paolo Banchero and Cole Anthony had a fun back-and-forth on social media as they reminisced about their collegiate days. On Orlando Magic’s official Instagram page, Banchero quipped about Anthony not making it to the NCAA tournament during his college year.

Banchero pointed out Anthony’s lack of March Madness experience in his comment after the team added a picture of him in a throwback picture of Magic players during their college years. Anthony recognized Banchero’s point in his reply.

“cole didn’t make the ncaa tournament btw,” Banchero wrote.

“Facts,” Cole replied.

Cole played for North Carolina in the NCAA, one of collegiate basketball’s most storied franchises. Cole spent his lone year there in the 2019-2020 season, but it was abruptly cut short due to the COVID-19 shutdown, which also canceled the March Madness tournament that year.

Despite the circumstances that season, Anthony made a mark in his lone season with North Carolina, averaging 18.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4 assists in his freshman year. Anthony was then picked 15th overall by Orlando in the 2020 NBA draft.

Meanwhile, Banchero was a product of Duke, a fierce rival of North Carolina. He spent his lone year with Duke in the 2022-2023, before becoming the 2023 NBA draft’s top pick.

The two were crucial pieces in the Magic’s rebuild, which now positions them in the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference with a 32-38 win-loss record.

Banchero now leads the team in scoring with averages of 25.3 points, along with 7.2 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, Anthony plays a sixth-man role for the Magic as he averages 9.6 points per game off the bench.

Paolo Banchero cites mentality shift in star rise in the NBA

Paolo Banchero rose into an All-Star in just his second second in the league in 2024. Banchero has also become the focal point of the Magic’s quest for a playoff run after finishing last year in the fifth spot, bouncing to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round.

For Banchero, a shift of mentality was key in his jump to superstardom in the NBA.

"I’m head and shoulders different. I think more so my mentality. In these 18 months I've learned more than the previous 3-4 years about myself, about the game, and about the player and person that I am. It's been really eye-opening, and I'm just glad it's happening, because I can feel myself growing and I can feel myself getting better,” he said in a 2024 interview.

This season, Banchero has missed 34 games due to a torn oblique muscle, causing the Magic to fall off in the middle of the season.

Nevertheless, the Magic will again be leaning on Banchero’s brilliance as they hope to climb up the East’s standings and avoid the play-in tournament.