"Couldn't be more excited for him": Duke HC Jon Scheyer sends final message for Kyle Filipowski for 2024 NBA draft

MVP of his conference tournament as a freshman and ACC Rookie of the Year, Kyle Filipowski is one of the few blue devils on the red carpet tonight. With that, Jon Scheyer, Duke men's basketball coach, recorded a personal video message for the center before he leaps the big league.

Scheyer reflected on Fiipowski's two-year-long journey from practice sessions to heated games while shedding light on the qualities that make Filipowski a top candidate.

"He is incredibly skilled personnel. He is like a guard. Couldn't be more excited for him," Scheyer said.

Filipowski is a 6-foot-9 big man who can move on the floor and take care of the ball like a point guard. He can shoot, post up, or take it to the rack and has plenty of live-dribble moves to affect the scoreboard. He had the option to land the 2023 drafts but chose to return for a sophomore year at Duke.

He is coming off averaging 16.4 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists last season and has been recognized as a consensus second-team All-American.

Coming out of hip surgery last year, Kyle Filipowski was initially predicted to be a top-20 prospect. As the March Madness went on, Filipowski made it to the top 10 in several mock drafts. However, there have been plenty of concerns around his NBA entry due to a few specific reasons.

Kyle Filipowski's draft projections take a fall

Stock fluctuations are a common theme when it comes to drafts. It could either be due to smokescreens deployed by NBA teams or situational.

One of the major reasons behind the decreased stock of Kyle Filipowski is his athletic testing results from the combine. He was measured to be 6’10.75 with socks on and can witness a negative wingspan (6’10.5″) as soon as he dons a pair of sneakers. Moreover, despite moving fluently on the court, he was in the bottom half for the leaping and foot speed tests.

While Filiposki can easily make any squad an offensive threat, there are doubts for his most suited position. The backcourt options are shunned due to his frame and size. Moreover, Filipowski has a record of struggling against bigger players from his Duke days, especially around the ones that had the strength and ability to stand against him. The NBA is filled with that personnel.