Duke's Countdown to Craziness Gives First Looks at Kyle Filipowski, Tyrese Proctor, Jared McCain and more

To be honest, there is not much you can take away from a Midnight Madness-type scrimmage. Duke’s Countdown to Craziness was more about the atmosphere, the introduction to the team, and building excitement around the program. With that said, once the ball is tipped, players get between the lines, and sweat starts to build, competitive juices start to flow.

Last night, Duke introduced their 2023-24 men’s and women’s basketball programs to their fans, the Cameron Crazies. Some of the team were familiar faces, and for some, it was a new experience. While I did not see a total attendance number, the eye test said the stands were filled from top to bottom. And with where Duke has the media sit – in the midst of the Cameron Crazies – I can confirm that the undergrad student section was full, on their feet, and loud the entire night.

“The turnout, and the support, is just incredible,” Duke head coach Jon Scheyer said after the scrimmage. “It is part of what makes this place so special”

Countdown to Craziness Format

The night started with the women’s basketball team. They introduced each player as they came out to their chosen walk-up song and were able to address the crowd. Most got on the platform and did a short dance, but all ran across to give high fives to the Cameron Crazies.

Duke’s head coach, Kara Lawson, addressed the crowd in a brief speech.

“I get asked all the time, ‘What makes Duke special? When I go around the country,” Lawson said. “What makes us special is the Crazies.”

Then, the women played an eight-minute, running clock scrimmage. There were some electric moments from the white team’s guards: freshman Jadyn Donovan and sophomore Taina Mair. Junior guard Reigan Richardson was poised for the blue team. In these eight minutes, the white team ran away with it.

The event staff then cleared the floor, and the men’s team was introduced.

The drop-screen projector came down from the ceiling, the volume was turned up, and the hype video started. You could feel the build-up. Then, they introduced the players. Much like the women’s side, each men’s player got to choose their own walk-up music and got around 30 seconds to address the crowd. Most danced, junior center Stanley Borden sang, and then they ran to give high fives to the Cameron Crazies.

After introductions, the men played in a sixteen-minute running clock scrimmage.

Countdown to Craziness Scrimmage Quick-Hitter Takeaways

The chemistry between sophomore Tyrese Proctor and junior Jeremy Roach was apparent. The pairing ended up together on the white team and combined to finish with 17 points and four assists on 6-13 from the field and 3-8 from three.

The veteran duo faced off against the freshman pairing of Jared McCain and Caleb Foster. While both have been practicing and, by all accounts, practicing very well with the team, getting out in front of a live crowd for the first time can test your nerves. While, overall, Proctor and Roach got the better of the freshman duo on this day, McCain and Foster started to settle in later in the scrimmage. They combined to finish 4-13 from the field with eight points and two assists. The guard depth with Duke this year should be one of their strengths.

For the second consecutive year, Christian Reeves would be considered the Countdown to Craziness MVP. He was excellent around the paint, finishing plays above the rim and blocking/affecting everything in sight. He provides something Duke needs this season: shot-blocking. If he can find consistency and get on the floor, he could help this season’s team.

Mark Mitchell will be huge for this team. While he may not be in many headlines or highlights, his presence is valuable to what Jon Scheyer wants to do this season. Mitchell is the glue guy. The conduit they put between their guard depth and their returning bigs. Mitchell’s length and defensive versatility will be what allows Duke to play three guards on the floor, with Mitchell at the four. His quick-twitch and ability to straight-line drive in the half-court will be what allows Duke to play a bigger lineup, with Mitchell at the three. He could be in line for big minutes this season.

Kyle Filipowski is Back

It has been quite the off-season for Kyle Filipowski. The 7-foot-0 center is coming off a freshman year that saw him earn ACC Freshman of the Year honors and second-team All-ACC. He is also coming off an off-season that saw him get double hip surgery and, as we learned last night, had to sit for some time because of concussion protocol.

Filipowski was back on the floor last night. While it was obvious that he was not yet 100 percent, he was still able to show the talent that netted him 15.1 points and 9.0 rebounds per game last season, along with ACC Tournament MVP honors.

What popped with Filipowski’s game in the blue-white scrimmage was the passing. This is something we have seen from him since high school, but he was not asked to show much during his freshman year. Duke lined him up in multiple spots on the floor, and Filipowski was able to deliver on target and on time to cutters or away from the double team.

What They Said

“It’s a dream come true. It’s something I’ve been dreaming up my whole life, and I finally got to go out there and play.” – Freshman guard Caleb Foster

“We’ve got a chance to do something special with this group. Something we have talked about as a team, you don’t take anything for granted. I can tell you with us, and our team, every single day we are going to fight like crazy, and we are going to fight together to do this.” – Duke head coach Jon Scheyer

“I love it here. Every moment of being here, I love it. I get to compete against pros every day. That’s why I came here, to literally get better and compete against better players. I enjoy the process, and now it’s here. I’m ready for the season.” – Freshman guard Jared McCain

“All of these guys, they’re committed to Duke, they’re committed to each other, and they’re committed to winning. They’re all in.” – Duke head coach Jon Scheyer