Duke forward Kyle Filipowski has declared for the 2024 NBA draft, he announced Friday via social media.
The 7-foot Filipowski led the Blue Devils in scoring (16.4 points per game) and rebounding (8.3 rebounds) for the second straight season, and is a potential lottery draft pick of the NBA this summer. In AthleticismIn the NCAA pre-tournament mock draft, Filipowski was taken 15th overall by the Miami Heat.
I still love 💙 pic.twitter.com/LF1W1iFY8K
– Kyle “Flip” Filipowski (@kylefilipowski) April 12, 2024
Filipowski arrived in Durham in the summer of 2022 as one of the star recruits of Jon Scheyer’s first class. In fact, Filipowski – a five-star talent ranked No. 4 overall this cycle – was the first high school signee for Scheyer, who succeeded Mike Krzyzewski as head coach in April 2022.
Filipowski was one of three top commits in Scheyer’s inaugural class – joining current NBA rookies Derek Lively II and Dariq Whitehead – who ranked first in the nation and seemingly validated Scheyer’s year-long succession plan. Duke with Scheyer as coach-in-waiting. after Krzyzewski.
Additionally, with Scheyer only returning one rotation player from Krzyzewski’s final class, point guard Jeremy Roach, the door was immediately opened for Filipowski’s emergence. The inside-out threat has quickly established himself as one of the best players in the ACC and the country, earning the conference’s Rookie of the Year award last season, as well as Honorable Mention All-Star honors. -America. He was also named ACC Tournament MVP last season, when he helped Duke defeat Virginia for Scheyer’s first conference title.
Filipowski probably could have turned professional last offseason, had it not been for double hip surgery that sidelined him for most of last summer – and kept him out of pre-tournament workouts. teams. That, combined with the Blue Devils’ loss to Tennessee in the round of 16, spurred Filipowski’s return.
This season, with Lively leaving for the NBA, Filipowski’s role changed and the second-year big man spent much more time at center than he did as a freshman. That unlocked Duke’s perimeter-focused five-and-out offense — which finished 8th nationally in adjusted efficiency, according to KenPom — but also came with some struggles on the defensive end, particularly against tight ends. stronger and more conventional centers.
But Filipowski still helped himself immensely this season, at least in the eyes of NBA evaluators. Athleticism spoke to. While opinions are still divided on Filipowski’s best position at the next level – some think he can be a center, while others see him more as an oversized forward – his ability to defend in space, coupled with to his inside-out offensive versatility. , makes him a desirable prospect in a lackluster draft class.
He improved his 3-point percentage this season — up to 34.8 percent, up from 28.2 percent last season — and showed greater playmaking ability. After just one game during his first season with four or more assists, Filipowski had 13 such performances this season, including in each of the Blue Devils’ first two NCAA Tournament postseason victories.
Filipowski also enters the NBA draft after several controversies – which were not his fault – over the past two seasons. As a freshman, he was fouled with time expired against Virginia, but did not get the potential game-winning free throws; Duke then lost in overtime — its last loss before a 10-game winning streak that included the ACC tournament title — but the ACC announced that night that Filipowski should have been awarded two free throws.
He was also hit in the throat late in Duke’s loss to Virginia Tech, and fell ill immediately afterward on the sidelines, but no foul was called.
This season, after the Blue Devils’ loss at Wake Forest on Feb. 24, Filipowski was apparently injured by a fan during an on-court celebration. Filipowski appeared to be pushed, before being helped off the floor by Duke staff members and teammates.
He told reporters after the game that he had sprained his knee, sparking a national debate — following a similar incident with women’s college star Caitlin Clark — over the merits (or lack thereof of merit) of a legal storm. Filipowski ultimately didn’t miss any time, starting all 36 games for Duke this season.
Filipowski became the second Blue Devil to declare for the NBA draft on Friday after freshman Jared McCain announced his intentions earlier in the day.
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(Photo: Lance King/Getty Images)