Duke star freshman Kyle Filipowski announces return for sophomore season

One of the nation’s top freshmen is returning for his sophomore season.

Kyle Filipowski, Duke’s leader in scoring and rebounding, announced Tuesday that he will be back with the Blue Devils for the 2023-24 season. Filipowski had a tremendous freshman season, averaging 15.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, and was considered a potential first-round pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.

But instead of testing the NBA waters, Filipowski has decided to spend another season in Durham.

Being at Duke this past year has been such a blessing,” Filipowski said in a video posted on Twitter. “I know you’re wondering what comes next. When I committed here, I said I wanted to help continue the Duke legacy. I said I wanted to help Coach [Jon] Scheyer build a foundation. I said I wanted to leave a legacy of my own. I meant what I said. I’m not done yet. See you next year.”

Duke won the ACC tournament and earned a No. 5 seed in the NCAA tournament this season. The Blue Devils blasted Oral Roberts in the first round before falling to a veteran Tennessee team in the second round, 65-52. Filipowski had 13 points and eight rebounds in the loss.

Duke finished the year with a 27-9 record.

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Filipowski’s return is a significant boon to second-year head coach Jon Scheyer’s roster. Dariq Whitehead and Dereck Lively II both are headed to the NBA, but Duke could return three other starters in addition to Filipowski. Tyrese Proctor and Mark Mitchell will both be back while point guard Jeremy Roach declared for the draft while maintaining his collegiate eligibility.