Blue Devil Country

Duke Basketball Star Proudly Admits to Pranking UNC Fans

The UNC-Duke basketball rivalry benefits from a Blue Devil like Kyle Filipowski.

Matt Giles

Duke Basketball Star Proudly Admits to Pranking UNC Fans
Duke Basketball Star Proudly Admits to Pranking UNC Fans /
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Duke basketball sophomore Kyle Filipowski has the look and personality of the prototypical Blue Devil to best irritate opposing fans, particularly those of the program eight miles down Tobacco Road.

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Plus, consider that the 7-foot forward is the reigning ACC Rookie of the Year and projected top weapon on a 2023-24 squad likely to be the preseason favorite to win the conference.

Moreover, first-year Duke basketball guard Caleb Foster referred to Filipowski as "Christian Laettner 2.0" in this week's season debut of Duke Blue Planet. The similarities are impossible to ignore, including that Filipowski's freshman numbers bear a resemblance to those of Laettner as a sophomore in 1989-90:

And in true Laettner fashion, rather than ignore what comes with being an easy-to-love-or-hate Blue Devil centerpiece, Filipowski seems to embrace it, using it as fuel, not to mention an occasional chuckle.

Even better, he sometimes goes as far as to encourage the disgust, unprompted on a random evening in early August. Case in point, on Thursday evening, the 19-year-old posted to X the following confession of having to commit a minor driving infraction (according to the state) whenever in sight of a UNC bumper sticker:

Kyle Filipowski is 2-0 against the Tar Heels. Thus far in his Blue Devil career, the archrivals haven't found an answer to containing him, as he averaged a double-double via 18.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game across those two victories.

Maybe his horn-honking is just his way of reminding himself of that.

Either way, the responses to the above post suggest his antics are positively endearing to Duke basketball fans and pretty much just cringely annoying in the eyes of their UNC basketball counterparts.

It's safe to say Kyle Filipowski wouldn't have it any other way.

Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country on SI.com for daily doses of Duke basketball news.

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Matt Giles
MATT GILES

Matt Giles is the editor and publisher of Duke Blue Devils on SI, North Carolina Tar Heels on SI, and NC State Wolfpack on SI, making him a key source for comprehensive coverage of these storied college basketball programs. Since joining SI in 2022, Matt has been dedicated to providing in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive content on all three teams. He covers everything from game previews and recaps to player profiles and recruiting updates. Matt's expert knowledge of these teams has made his work a go-to resource for fans and followers of Duke, NC State, and UNC. As publisher, he shapes the editorial direction, ensuring that the most relevant and timely information reaches his audience.

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