Duke basketball: Kyle Filipowski plays 5-on-5 in first official practice

Duke basketball star Kyle Filipowski has returned to 5-on-5 action in practice. 

Monday was the first official practice of the Duke basketball season and it came with a major development from the Blue Devils as Kyle Filipowski was seen playing in 5-on-5 action.

Filipowski had been rehabbing from his double hip surgery in April and was not fully cleared to participate in contact drills until August, according to head coach Jon Scheyer.

However, Scheyer said prior to the start of the fall semester of school that the biggest thing the team had to do was take it slow with the ramp up period of the potential All-American candidate and make sure that he is feeling great for opening night.

Well, things have come much earlier since Filipowski was participating in a 5-on-5 drill on Monday afternoon.

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Jon Scheyer knew that the ACC Freshman of the Year could have played in a meaningful basketball game in September but wanted to acclimate him back into the team by playing 2-on-2, 3-on-3, etc. before putting back in full contact drills in a 5-on-5 scenario.

Filipowski averaged 15.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.3 steals per game and shot 44.1-percent from the field during his first season in Durham and he has been at the forefront embracing the major expectations that are on the shoulders of the Blue Devils this season.

Duke basketball ready to begin season

Jeremy Roach, Tyrese Proctor, and Mark Mitchell — all starters from last season — returned to the program this offseason and the consensus No. 2 recruiting class in the nation also joined Duke.

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Many have listed the Blue Devils as the No. 2 team in the country in preseason polls, most trailing Kansas, but the core of returning players should give Duke a head start over its competition in the early stages of the season.

Duke officially begins its year on Monday, November 6 against Dartmouth.