Duke’s Kyle Filipowski Says He Believes Court-Storming Hit Was ‘Intentional for Sure’

The aftermath of Wake Forest’s win Saturday set the college basketball world alight.

Wake Forest’s 83-79 upset of No. 8 Duke Saturday afternoon should’ve been a heartwarming moment for college basketball writ large—a landmark win for a once-proud program gunning for its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2017.

Instead, it became a national story for all the wrong reasons. Blue Devils center Kyle Filipowski was hit as Demon Deacons fans stormed the court after the victory and sprained his ankle, leading Duke coach Jon Scheyer to call for a ban on the celebratory practice.

After the game, Filipowski addressed the incident with WFMY-TV of Greensboro, N.C.

• Forde: After Filipowski Injury, It’s Time to Take Action

“I absolutely feel like it was personal, intentional for sure,” Filipowski said. “There’s no reason where they see a big guy like me trying to work my way off the court and can’t just work their way around me. There’s no excuse for that.”

Here's what Kyle Filipowski told local CBS TV affiliate WFMY—"I absolutely feel like it was personal, intentional for sure. There's no reason where they see a big guy like me trying to work my way off the court and can't just work their way around me. There's no excuse for that."

— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) February 24, 2024

Filipowski, a potential first-round pick in this summer’s NBA draft, is averaging 16.9 points and 8.2 rebounds per game this season.