Kyle Filipowski downplays the impact money had on decision to return

It’s no longer surprising to see a former five-star recruit opting to return to college for their sophomore season thanks to NIL.

Duke star Kyle Filipowski says it certainly played a role — but it wasn’t what brought him back to Durham.

“Obviously, the NIL is really nice. It’s a really big incentive for you to want to stay in college longer,” Filipowski said via The Botherhood Podcast. “It encourages you to get your degree and it will keep the college game around a lot longer than guys wanting to turn pro as soon as they can.

“It’s definetely a big benefit for sure, but I didn’t think much about the NIL being a factor.”

Filipowski returns to school in 2023 looking to make a few extra dollars all while dominating once again on the court. As a freshman, he was Duke’s leading scorer with 15.1 points, leading rebounder with 8.9 boards and led the team in steals with 1.3 per game. In the end, that production helped him win ACC Rookie of the Year and ACC Tournament MVP while also earning a spot on the All-ACC Second Team.

All signs pointed toward Filipowski heading to the pros. After all, he was projected to be a first-round draft choice and came in with all the hype behind him, joining the Brotherhood as a five-star recruit in 2022 as well as the No. 5 prospect and No. 1 power forward.

He arrived as part of the Blue Devil’s No. 1 overall recruiting class in 2022 and was the first commit of the post-Mike Krzyzewski era. That Blue Devil class was highlighted by him, Dereck Lively II, Dariq Whitehead, Mark Mitchell, and Tyrese Proctor. Lively and Whitehead, the other two five-star recruits in Duke’s 2022 class, were selected in the 2023 NBA Draft last month as Filipowski watched on.

Instead of joining his buddies in the league, the 7-foot sophomore welcomes in Duke’s 2023 recruiting class, which ranked No. 2 overall in this year’s cycle.

Headlined by five-star combo guard Jared McCain, the Blue Devils also have gained commitments from three other players ranked in the top 20 of the On3 Industry Rankings. Four-star PF Sean Stewart, SF TJ Power and PG Caleb Foster are all expected to play for Jon Scheyer’s squad in 2023, and it’s Filipowski’s job as a returning star to help guide the newcomers through their first offseason in Durham.