Is Kyle Filipowski playing tonight vs Louisville? Duke center's availability for Cardinals matchup explored
Kyle Filipowski is set to suit up for Duke, following an injury scare against Wake Forest, per reports. The 7-footer's status was marked as 'questionable' since the incident. However, he will now be available vs Louisville.
Filipowski hurt his right knee when he collided with a fan in a court-storming incident after the Duke-Wake Forest game on Saturday. The 7-foot center had to be helped off the court amid the melee.
In a Monday night conversation with host David Shumate on "Fastbreak with Jon Scheyer," Scheyer offered an optimistic take on the star center's injury status for the No. 10 Blue Devils' home game against the Cardinals.
The second-year coach said Filipowski was "not 100%" after the incident. However, he hopes his star performer will recover in time for the game against Louisville.
"And with 'Flip,' (Filipowski) he's just not 100% after what happened," Scheyer said. "He's not himself. Hopefully, he takes another step tomorrow, and he can be ready for Wednesday."
Also read: Wake Forest Director of Athletics offers sincere apology for court storming issue injuring Duke's Kyle Filipowski.
Kyle Filipowski's injury status vs. Louisville remains up in the air
As per Scheyer, Filipowski remains questionable before the game against Louisville. However, the coach pointed out that if the slotman's knee improves, he could suit up.
If Filipowski's knee continues to be sore and is declared out for the contest, Duke has a lot of options to take the center's place, although they're not as skillful as compared to the second-year player. Scheyer can opt for Ryan Young, Sean Stewart, and Mark Mitchell to patrol the post, but all of them are not as athletically sound as Filipowski and easily get into foul trouble.
In 27 games for Duke, Filipowski has been the top contributor. He averages 16.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.7 blocks in 30.6 minutes of action. It means it will be a tall order for his replacements to fill his shoes.
Scheyer can also opt for a small-ball approach and increase the workload of guards Jeremy Roach, Jared McCain, Jaylen Blakes and Tyrese Proctor.
However, there is a possibility that they will also miss the services of Caleb Foster, who sustained an ankle injury in the second half against Wake Forest. Scheyer said that he is not optimistic about the health status of the guard, and he could be put on the shelf until his injured ankle is fully healed.
If Filipowski does not play, his next possible appearance will be on Saturday, March 2, against Virginia.
Read more: Duke gets trolled by NCAAB fans after Kyle Filipowski's photo from Wake Forest court storming goes viral: "Classic resting Duke face"