Who is Kyle Filipowski? Duke center returned to Blue Devils after stellar freshman year

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Since Mike Krzyzewski retired from coaching in 2021, the Duke Blue Devils have an open door for new names to uphold the legacy of the five-time national champions.

One player who is carrying the torch of excellence is sophomore Kyle Filipowski. The seven-foot center had a stellar freshman year last season and opted to return to the Blue Devils instead of following the one-and-done trend.

Filipowski continued to have success during his second year in college basketball, improving his draft stock. But he has made headlines for more than just his stats.

He is upholding the tradition, which includes heightened scrutiny, that past Duke big men Carroll Youngkin, Cherokee Parks and Christian Laettner established.

"If I went to any other school, I would not be portrayed in the light I'm being portrayed in right now just because I do go to Duke," he told Yahoo Sports. "... Having the spotlight shone down in games and wearing Duke across my chest, that adds a little bit of a taste in people's mouths."

Here's everything you need to know about Duke's Kyle Filipowski:

Kyle Filipowski stats

Kyle Filipowsi is averaging 17.1 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game this season.

His freshman year, he led Duke with 15.1 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.

He shined in ACC conference play this year, scoring a career-high 30 points and adding 13 rebounds in a win over Georgia Tech. Even though Duke lost to eventual champion North Carolina State in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament, he had 28 points and 14 boards in that game.

His first season, he had 28 points — including a monster dunk — and a career-high 15 rebounds in a win over Pittsburgh.

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Kyle Filipowski awards

Kyle Filipowski was named the ACC Rookie of the Year last season. He was given the ACC tournament MVP award after Duke beat Virginia for the conference title. According to the school, he's only the fourth player in conference history to capture both awards in the same season. The only other Blue Devils player to do so is 2019's No. 1 overall NBA draft pick Zion Williamson.

This season, Filipowski was named to the 2023-24 All-ACC First Team, the only Duke player to make the Atlantic Coast Conference's first or second team.

Kyle Filipowski hurt during court storming, appeared to 'trip' UNC player

Kyle Filipowski didn't just make headlines for his stats this season.

Toward the end of ACC regular-season play, Wake Forest upset the Blue Devils, and the sophomore center was injured when Demon Deacons fans stormed the court.

He was bumped around in the melee, and his teammates had to help him off the court as he hobbled into the tunnel.

"It's just really ridiculous of how that situation is handled," Filipowski told CBS' Greensboro outlet WFMY News 2. "... I absolutely feel like it was personal. Intentional for sure. Like I said, there's no reason where they see a big guy like me trying to work my way off the court and they can't just work around me, you know? There's no excuse for that."

He didn't miss any time for the injury.

In the regular-season finale against storied rival North Carolina, Filipowski seemingly tripped Tar Heels forward Harrison Ingram. It was just one incident in the matchup where North Carolina surged to capture the ACC regular season title at Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium. Tar Heels players were showered with choice words and confetti from the Cameron Crazies.

Kyle Filipowski NBA draft

Kyle Filipowski opted not to enter the NBA draft after his freshman season when he led Duke in points and rebounds despite being projected as a first-round pick.

The sophomore had even stronger stats the next year after bucking the one-and-done trend. Many draft projections say Filipowski will be a top 10 pick in this year's draft.

He has yet to officially declare for the 2024 NBA draft.

Kyle Filipowski NIL deals

Kyle Filipowski has more than 54,000 followers on Instagram and has built quite a roster of NIL deals.

One of his deals is with Great Clips. He was part of the hair salon chain's "Wrights and Wrongs" campaign during last year's March Madness with Kansas State's Gabby Gregory and former Villanova coach-turned CBS analyst Jay Wright.

He also signed with Snack Fanatics, which gave him his own flavor of potato chips: Hot Honey Barbecue.

On Selection Sunday, he posted an Instagram reel promoting Downy's Rinse & Refresh laundry detergent booster.

Who does Duke play next in NCAA Tournament?

After defeating James Madison on Sunday, No. 4 Duke will face No. 1 Houston in the Sweet 16 of the men's NCAA Tournament on Friday.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Kyle Filipowski? Duke star leads Blue Devils into March Madness