How Duke basketball won at NCAA Tournament without Kyle Filipowski making a field goal
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Duke basketball's Kyle Filipowski didn't offer his first field-goal attempt until the 4-minute mark of the first half.
The All-American center didn't take another shot. But the 7-foot, 247-pound sophomore was hardly invisible during No. 4 Duke's gritty, 64-47 victory over No. 13 Vermont in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament at Barclays Center on Friday night.
In 36-plus minutes, Filipowski corralled 12 rebounds, handed out four assists, picked up two steals and blocked four Vermont shots to fill the stat sheet on a night the Duke leading scorer finished 0 of 1 from the floor.
March Madness links: Coverage of Duke vs Vermont basketball in the 2024 NCAA Tournament
Key injury for Duke: Caleb Foster ruled out for remainder of season before Blue Devils' game vs Vermont
"So many guys get caught up in stats, especially young players, it can be about scoring. He does so much for our team," Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. "But for him to be such a willing passer, and we have so much shooting on the floor, I thought it was just a big-time game by him to be honest with you. And it's a lesson for any high school player that's trying to make it. Like he impacted the game taking one shot."
How, exactly, did Filipowski influence the Round of 64 victory? Simply, Filipowski did not force the issue for his opportunities against a Vermont team determined to not let the Duke big man too many inside looks or touches? And, by passing out of double teams or making the right read, Filipowski let his teammates shine.
The beneficiaries of Filipowski's unselfishness? Mark Mitchell and Jared McCain. Mitchell, who scored 11 of his 15 points in the first half by beating Vermont's ball-screen coverage, and McCain also produced a 15-point effort in a game that saw the Blue Devils held to nearly 16 points below their season average. Jeremy Roach chipped in 14 points and Tyrese Proctor added a trio of 3s for 13 points.
"I have to give a huge shout to Flip. He got me these open shots," McCain said. "So even though it doesn't show on the stat sheet, even if I miss some of those shots, he won us a lot of those plays, those possessions. I got a lot of love for Flip when he finds me outside the post."
Filipowski also controlled the glass and took away Vermont chances at the rim with his large reach for blocks. Duke finished with a 38-26 edge on the glass.
"Obviously I didn't know he only had three points. I thought he affected the game, his passing and rebounding was great. Just did what it took to win," Mitchell said. "He played good defense for most of the game and just affected the game every way. And we ran our offense through him and we got good looks and open shots and that's all you can ask for."
Although it was a double-digit victory, Duke only led 50-44 with 7:26 to play. Proctor answered a Vermont 3-pointer with his trey of his own to spark a 6-0 spurt. The lead did not dip below nine the rest of the way for the Blue Devils, who snapped a two-game losing streak to head to the second round.
"Any time you can get a nitty-gritty win like that, it helps your team, helps your camaraderie and helps your togetherness," Mitchell said. "I think we are going to use that going forward the rest of the weekend to help us."
Contact Alex Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter: @aabrami5.
This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Duke basketball vs Vermont: Filipowski influences without scoring
