Duke basketball: Envisioning next season’s starting lineup

Projected Duke basketball starter: Kyle Filipowski

The starting four-spot for the 2022-23 Blue Devils could come down to a competition between Wilbraham & Monson (Mass.) five-star power forward Kyle Filipowski and Sunrise Christian (Kan.) five-star small forward Mark Mitchell. Unless Trevor Keels or Jeremy Roach decides not to return, it seems unlikely that both will end up in the starting five.

Filipowski and Mitchell rank No. 3 and 13 on the 247Sports 2022 Composite. In other words, it may seem like a crime for either to be anything other than a Day 1 starter. But that’s how things sometimes go in Durham. Either way, there ought to be plenty of time for both players.

For now, we’ll give a slight nod to Filipowski as a starter.

One reason is the brownie points he must have earned by becoming the first recruit to ever pledge allegiance to Jon Scheyer as the next head coach.

Another reason is that Kyle Filipowski, while perhaps not displaying as much eventual pro potential as Mark Mitchell, appears to possess a sturdy 6-foot-11 frame and skilled inside-out game that could prove a bit more ACC-ready.