Kyle Filipowski’s stellar Duke basketball career had many NBA Draft analysts predicting he would be a first-round pick, whether he declared last year or this year. However, when the picks came in Wednesday night, Filipowski did not hear his name called. Despite being the ACC tournament MVP in his freshman season and a second-team All-American as a sophomore, Filipowski was not selected among the 30 picks in the first round at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The draft continues with the second round beginning at 4 p.m. Thursday, offering a glimmer of hope for Filipowski, who was one of 25 players invited to join the green room at the draft site on Wednesday night. Sitting with his fiancée, Duke coach Jon Scheyer, and Duke basketball staff members Rachel Baker and Zach Marcus, Filipowski watched as his teammate Jared McCain was picked 16th overall by Philadelphia.
The 6’11” Filipowski started all 72 games for the Blue Devils over the past two seasons, helping the team to consecutive 27-9 records in Jon Scheyer’s first two seasons as head coach following Mike Krzyzewski’s retirement. As a freshman, Filipowski led Duke’s ACC championship team in scoring (15.1 points per game) and rebounding (8.9 rebounds per game). He repeated this feat as a sophomore, scoring 16.4 points per game and averaging 8.3 rebounds.
After his freshman season, Filipowski underwent surgery on both hips to correct an abnormality and improve his mobility. As a sophomore, he demonstrated improved play-making ability, increasing his assist average to 2.8 per game and shooting 34.8% from three-point range, up from 28.2% as a freshman.
Despite his impressive college career, Filipowski’s measurements at the scouting combine raised concerns among NBA talent evaluators. Though he was listed as a 7-footer during his Duke career, he measured 6’10.75″ without shoes, with a wingspan slightly shorter than his height at 6’10.5″.
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