Duke Basketball Player Arrested, Star Freshman Faces DWI-Related Charge

Two members of the Duke men’s basketball team face DWI-related charges.

Junior Michael Savarino, the grandson of Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski, was arrested for DWI Sunday, according to court records obtained by The News & Observer. Freshman Paolo Banchero was sitting in the backseat and has been charged with aiding and abetting DWI.

Savarino, 20, was pulled over by the North Carolina Highway Patrol for a stop sign violation. He was taken into custody after showing signs of impairment, the News & Observer reports, and was shown to have a blood alcohol content of .08 by a breathalyzer test.

Banchero, 19, was charged and released at the site of the traffic stop.

Savarino is set to be in court on Dec. 9 for his DWI charge. Banchero has a court date for Dec. 8.

“We are reviewing a legal matter involving two members of the men’s basketball team,” Krzyzewski said in a statement released by Duke athletics to The News & Observer. “Any further actions as a result of this situation will ultimately be determined by the Vice President/Director of Athletics and University officials.”

Banchero is one of the country’s top college players this season with a chance to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. The forward leads all Duke players with averages of 19.3 points and 8.7 rebounds in three games.

Savarino has only played four minutes this season.

Duke is 3-0 and the No. 7-ranked team in the nation. Krzyzewski is set to retire at the end of the season.