Kyle Filipowski: The New Duke Villain

Kyle’s Success Last Season

Filipowski was terrific in year one. He led the Blue Devils in scoring and rebounding and was a dominant threat for Duke last season. He was tough to guard because of his footwork, nice mid-range touch, and relentless attack throughout the game. Kyle also received accolades for his performances. Outside of Freshman of the Year, he was the ACC Tournament MVP and scored 20 points against Virginia in the championship game.

Kyle shows great awareness in his decision-making and play. He possessed supreme offensive talent and used his skill set to improve against defensive adjustments. More importantly, the coaching staff put Filipowski in a position to succeed. Jon Scheyer used Kyle in roll situations when a shorter player guarded him, in pick-and-pop with a taller defender guarding him, and had him initiate offense from the elbow area consistently. He brings a versatile skillset that allows him to be a matchup nightmare.

What He Says About the Critics

Critics love to hate on players, and some players love to take the critics on. At Duke, there is heightened pressure to perform well and win games. Kyle was one of the best-rated incoming players in the country. This amount of pressure should be immense for someone entering their first season.

Nevertheless, Kyle relishes the criticism and follows the villain track to a tee. Kyle said the critics helped him play well because “That’s what happens when you’re a really good player playing for a really good team. … I use it as fuel to the fire”. Filipowski also said the critics are “spending your money to watch me beat your ass.” Kyle finds joy from the critics and likes clapping back at them with his play and words. He will receive more hate now but seems ready to prove them wrong again.

When thinking of Duke Villains, Christian Laettner, J.J. Redick, and Grayson Allen all come to mind. The Wilbraham and Monson star takes on this role and seems to enjoy it just fine. Duke looks to be one of the favorites to win it all this season, so Filipowski will have more critics hating on him this year.

The Last Word

Despite all the criticism, Kyle Filipowski is a terrific player and looks to be one of the best in college basketball. He brings an impressive blend of size, skill, and swagger that will help him be one of the top players in the country. Nevertheless, his embrace of being hated is a headline for this upcoming season. Filipowski needs to let the haters fuel him and not let the criticism distract him. The big man loves criticism, and eyes are on him this season. The new villain of college basketball has arrived: the big man from Duke.