Duke men's basketball standout Kyle Filipowski passing on NBA draft to return for sophomore season
Good news keeps coming for the Duke men's basketball team. ACC rookie of the year Kyle Filipowski is returning for his sophomore season, he announced on social media.
The 7-foot center and former top-five recruit averaged 15.1 points and 8.9 rebounds and was second-team all-ACC for the Blue Devils, who won the ACC tournament before being eliminated in the second round of the NCAA Tournament by Tennessee. His announcement comes as something of a surprise, as he likely would have been taken in the first round of the NBA draft in June.
Filipowski's return coincides with two other members of last year’s strong recruiting class, guard Tyrese Proctor and forward Mark Mitchell, who have also stated their intent play for the Blue Devils next season.
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The news wasn’t all good for Duke on the personnel front, as incoming recruit Mackenzie Mgbako, a top-10 prospect announced he asked the school to be released from his letter of intent after Filipowski's decision. Mgbako said in his Twitter post he feels "there will be other places for me to continue my basketball journey."
Even with the loss of Mgbako, the Blue Devils still have one of the top recruiting classes in the country and figure to enter the 2023-24 campaign as heavy favorites to contend for a national championship.
One unresolved decision remains for the team. Jeremy Roach is entering the NBA draft process while retaining the option to return. Roach, who was averaged 13.6 points, would bring veteran leadership to the team by staying for his senior
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kyle Filipowski staying at Duke and delaying NBA draft decision
