Jon Scheyer was thrilled with the performance that Kyle Filipowski turned in on Wednesday night aganist Miami.
Filipowski only had 15 points, six rebounds, four assists, and three blocks in 31 minutes but it was his overall impact on the game that led the No. 8 Blue Devils to a stunning 84-55 road victory.
"I thought it was one of Filipowski’s best games. It’s not going to show in the box score, but he played with great poise," Scheyer explained.
Offensively, the All-American candidate did most of his damage in the second half with 10 points on 3-of-4 shooting after only making 2-of-3 in the first half with five points.
"He was really strong. He played great defense. He makes the game so much easier for everybody else on the floor," the Duke head coach continued.
It was coming on the heels of a game in which Kyle Filipowski wasn't at his best against Florida State, but he didn't need to be with the 35-point performance from Jared McCain. Filipowski only had eight points in 28 minutes while committing four fouls and six turnovers.
There have been many more games this year than last year in which the 7-footer has struggles, scoring just eight points on 2-of-9 shooting against Notre Dame on February 7 and nine points on 2-of-8 shooing against Clemson on January 27, both of which were victories for the Blue Devils.
Filipowski's assist to Tyrese Proctor late in the second half was one of the best plays of the game for Duke as McCain saved the ball from going out of bounds and the center threw a bounce pass to the baseline around two defenders with Proctor cutting at the perfect time for an easy layup.
the dime + hockey assist on this play went crazy 👀👀 pic.twitter.com/6RLBAjpAeJ
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) February 22, 2024
It was similar to a quarterback throwing a pass to an open spot on the field which he knows his receiver will be, rather than throwing it at his receiver, who might be covered at the time.
“Coach has been saying and showing me a little bit with my turnovers the last few games, how teams have been game-planning for me passing out the post and in the short roll and stuff," Filipowski said after the game.
"I was just trying to be a lot more patient tonight. I think I did a good job of that. And like I said, it's really just about what I see in the defense. Read and react.”
Duke (21-5, 12-3 ACC) is riding a 5-game winning streak and will put it on the line against Wake Forest (17-9, 9-6 ACC) on Saturday afternoon (2:00 p.m. ET, ESPN) as the Demon Deacons look to add a signature victory to its resume in hopes of reaching the NCAA Tournament.