Kyle Filipowski shares the challenges of being go-to player at young age

Jon Scheyer brought in an incredible recruiting class for his first season at Duke. While there was some veteran experience in the rotation, freshmen were going to be highly relied on. At some point, one of them would have to emerge as a leader for the Blue Devils and Kyle Filipowski stepped up to the plate.

When the sledding got tough for Duke, Filipowski was who Scheyer turned to. He became the team’s best player in the month of March, leading the program to an ACC Tournament championship plus an NCAA Tournament win.

Filipowski spoke on the matter, saying he was just trying to live up to the expectations of his teammates. Making them proud was his top priority, not wanting to let them down. A goal most likely accomplished during the 2022-2023 season.

“I came here and I learned and I grew into this team,” Filipowski said. “Really being one unit and all fighting for the same thing. Really, I just didn’t want to let the rest of you guys down with my role on the team and still doing what I had to do to help this team succeed.

“Some people can get in their heads about it, not wanting to let other people down. It’s not you having doubts of yourself and what you’re capable of but really, you just want to make your friends and family and your team, your brothers proud of you.”

Plenty of awards are attached to Filipowski’s name, including the ACC All-Rookie team and being named the conference’s Rookie of the Year. He averaged 15.1 points and 9.0 rebounds per game, leading Duke in both categories.

Crunch time is when things elevated for Filipowski, though. Two double-double performances game during the ACC Tournament, averaging nearly 20 points through three games. He was named the tournament’s MVP as well, capping off a great weekend in Greensboro.

A 13-point and eight-rebound performance against Tennessee in the Round of 32 was still a solid one, even if Duke was on the losing end.

Filipowski could have easily declared for the NBA and begun his professional career. But he decided to come back to Durham and once against being the Blue Devils’ leader. Settling in will not be too big of a problem, letting Filipowski hit the ground running.

Significant improvement is on the way from the big man, a scary thought for the rest of the ACC.