"We didn't play our best game that game": Duke star Kyle Filipowski finally acknowledges ACC Tournament debacle vs NC State
A week after the disappointing loss to North Carolina State in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament, Duke Blue Devils center Kyle Filipowski has given his honest review of the game.
The Blue Devils, who were a top-10 team throughout the regular season, were considered favorites for the game but fell to the eventual champion.
Speaking in the press conference ahead of Duke's March Madness first-round game against the Vermont Catamounts, Filipowski said the Blue Devils were not in their best form for the game. However, they are putting that behind them as they commence their charge for the national title.
"Keep battling," Filipowski said (via 247 Sports). "We didn't play our best game that game but you know, the most important thing is just keep on fighting, keep playing together. Don't lose that trust in each other."
Kyle Filipowski believes Duke has had a brilliant season
While they deal with the disappointment of the ACC Tournament, Kyle Filipowski believes it's been a fantastic college basketball season for the Blue Devils in 2023-24. The center is proud of what the team has been able to achieve this season despite the series of challenges that came up.
The Blue Devils dealt with a lot of injuries at the start of the season, which gave a number of freshmen playing opportunities.
"Yeah, we had a really good season," Filipowski said. "Obviously it's not done yet. Not close to being over. We should be proud of what we accomplished.
"We persevered through a lot of injuries, a lot of things, and during that time, the freshmen did grow up a lot. They grew their confidence. They got more comfortable being out there on the court, and just doing the -- playing the way we play, they fell into that really good."
Kyle Filipowski on the Blue Devils' slow start
Duke has had a slow start to their games lately and that's very noticeable in the run of play. Kyle Filipowski gave his view on this in his session with the media.
"It starts with us three (Filipowski, Jeremy Roach & Tyrese Proctor) and the tone we set on the defensive end, and the offense will come as we go. It really starts with us setting the tone, giving the energy for the rest of the team to feed off of."
Having been quite impressive this season, Duke has some shot at the national title. The Blue Devils begin their March Madness campaign against Vermont on Friday.