The present state of college basketball looks different than it ever has before. We are living in the age of “one-and-done,” NIL deals, and the transfer portal. While the game is still highly entertaining, these new variables make for a landscape that is very unpredictable and sometimes difficult to understand.
The UConn Huskies barely had any time to celebrate their program’s fifth national title before their two most impactful players, Jordan Hawkins and Adama Sanogo announced they were foregoing the rest of their college eligibility and entering the NBA draft. While the time is certainly right for Hawkins and Sanogo to enter the professional ranks, the last few years have seen a slew of less qualified players enter the draft before they were ready. This has sometimes resulted in players, who may have had solid NBA careers if given the time to develop, being expelled from the league and sentenced to a career in Europe.
Kyle Filipowski’s decision to return to Duke for his sophomore year could pay off in a major way.
Kyle Filipowski of the Duke Blue Devils was expected to enter this year’s draft after helping his team win the ACC Tournament and being named the tournament’s MVP. Filipowski also earned the ACC Rookie of the Year award. If he were to forego his remaining collegiate eligibility, every mock draft until June would have certainly included his name in the first round, and possibly even the lottery. That’s why it came as a surprise to many when Filipowski announced he was returning to Duke for his sophomore season.
Although his decision was surprising, that does not mean it was incorrect. There is are mores pros than cons for Filipowski when it comes to playing another year of college basketball. Let’s take a closer look at why he made the right decision to return next year and the impact he can make for the Blue Devils and on college basketball as a whole.