If you only watched the highlights of Kyle Filipowski at Duke, you probably saw the 7-foot frame and the smooth perimeter jumpers and thought, "Oh, he's just another tall guy who wants to play like a guard." Honestly, that's the trap. People look at the "Flip" experience and try to fit him into a box, but the reality buried in the Kyle Filipowski college stats is way more interesting—and a lot more physical—than the highlight reels suggest.
He didn't just survive the ACC; he bullied it for two years.
Across 72 games in Durham, Filipowski put up 1,134 points. He wasn't just a volume shooter, though. He was the engine for Jon Scheyer’s first two seasons as head coach. Let’s get into the weeds of what those numbers actually meant on the floor.
The Freshman Year Breakout (2022-23)
Coming in as a five-star recruit, the pressure was huge. Filipowski didn't blink. He started all 36 games and averaged 15.1 points and 8.9 rebounds.
But here’s the stat that actually matters: 16 double-doubles.
That led all Division I freshmen nationwide. It wasn't just "good for a rookie." It was elite. He became the first freshman in Duke history to open his career with three straight double-doubles, including a gritty 17-point, 14-rebound performance against Kansas.
Most people forget he played that entire first year with malformed labrums in both hips. Basically, he was dominating the best conference in basketball while essentially being held together by tape and willpower. He still managed to shoot 76.5% from the free-throw line that year, showing a soft touch that most bigs would kill for.
He ended that season as the ACC Rookie of the Year and the ACC Tournament MVP. You don’t get those trophies by just being tall; you get them by being the most consistent player on the court.
The Sophomore Leap: Efficiency Over Volume
After off-season hip surgery, everyone expected Filipowski to come back and maybe push for 20 points a game. He didn't. Instead, he got smarter.
His scoring average "only" went up to 16.4 points per game, but look at the efficiency.
- Field Goal Percentage: Jumped from 44.1% to 50.5%.
- Three-Point Shooting: Improved from a shaky 28.2% to a respectable 34.8%.
- Blocks: More than doubled, going from 0.7 to 1.5 per game.
The Kyle Filipowski college stats from his sophomore year tell the story of a player who stopped forcing the issue. He became a "connector." His assists jumped from 1.6 to 2.8 per game. He was no longer just a finisher; he was a playmaker.
The Hofstra game in December 2023 was the perfect microcosm. He finished with 28 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists. No Blue Devil had ever recorded that specific stat line before. Not Grant Hill, not Zion, not Christian Laettner. Just Flip.
Defensive Nuance vs. The "Soft" Narrative
There’s this weird narrative that Filipowski was a defensive liability because he wasn't a traditional rim protector. The stats say otherwise.
In 2023-24, his Defensive Rating was a stifling 95.3. For context, anything under 100 in college ball is considered very good. He wasn't just swatting shots; he was moving his feet. He averaged 1.1 steals per game as a 7-footer. That’s rare. It shows an "anticipation" factor that a lot of scouts overlooked because they were too busy looking at his wingspan (which, at 6'10.5", was actually shorter than his height).
He used his chest. He took charges. He stayed on the floor.
The ACC Gauntlet
Let’s talk about the big games. Because stats in November against "Directional State" don't mean much at Duke.
Against North Carolina in March 2023, he dropped 22 and 13 to seal a win. In the 2023 ACC Championship against Virginia? 20 points and 10 boards. When the lights were brightest, he usually found a way to get to his spots.
Even in his final season, he managed to eclipse the 1,000-point milestone in just his second year. He was only the seventh Blue Devil in the last 50 years to hit that mark that quickly. That’s a list that includes names like Johnny Dawkins and Zion Williamson.
👉 See also: What Time Do the Bucks Play Tonight: Everything You Need to Know
Kyle Filipowski College Career Totals
If you want the "all-in" view of his time at Duke, here is how the raw numbers shake out over his two-year stint:
He played 2,142 total minutes. In that time, he grabbed 621 rebounds and swiped 87 steals. His career player efficiency rating (PER) sat at a monstrous 25.5. To put that in perspective, the average college player sits around 15.0.
He was essentially 70% more productive than the average DI basketball player every single minute he was on the court.
Why the Second Round?
A lot of fans look at the Kyle Filipowski college stats and wonder why he fell to the 32nd pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
It's a fair question. Honestly, it mostly came down to "archetype anxiety." NBA teams are terrified of "tweeners"—players who are too small to guard NBA centers but not fast enough to guard NBA wings.
Despite his 50% shooting from the floor, scouts worried about his 67.1% free-throw shooting in his sophomore year. It was a weird dip from his freshman season. They also pointed to the 2.1 turnovers per game.
💡 You might also like: Rhyne Howard Game Log: Why Her 2025 Stats Are Better Than They Look
But stats don't measure "gravity." When Filipowski was on the perimeter, the opposing center had to leave the paint. That opened up everything for Duke’s guards. You won't find that in a box score, but you'll see it in the win column.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Scouts
If you're tracking Filipowski's career or comparing him to the next crop of Duke bigs like Cooper Flagg or Khaman Maluach, keep these benchmarks in mind:
- Look at the AST/TO Ratio: For a big man, Filipowski’s ability to stay near a 1:1 ratio (2.8 assists to 2.1 turnovers) is the gold standard for a "modern big."
- Evaluate Rebounding Percentage: He consistently grabbed about 15% of all available rebounds while he was on the floor. If a replacement isn't hitting 12%, the team's defense will suffer.
- The "Stock" Rate: (Steals + Blocks). Filipowski averaged 2.6 stocks per game as a sophomore. This is the best indicator of "defensive activity" rather than just "height."
Filipowski left Duke as a consensus Second Team All-American and a two-time All-ACC selection. He wasn't perfect, and the "court storming" incident at Wake Forest might be what casual fans remember most, but the data shows a player who was historically productive.
To truly understand his impact, you have to stop looking at him as a "finesse" player and start looking at him as a high-usage cornerstone who anchored one of the most efficient offenses in the country for two straight years.
Next Steps to Track Kyle's Progress:
- Compare these college totals to his Utah Jazz rookie season splits to see how his 3-point percentage (34.8% at Duke) has translated to the deeper NBA line.
- Monitor his "defensive win shares" in the pros to see if that 95.3 college defensive rating was a product of the Duke system or his own individual lateral quickness.