Versatile 2022 Forward Sees Strong Notre Dame Fit

Talented forward Kyle Filipowski knows he fits in extremely well at Notre Dame

Notre Dame's men’s basketball handed out several new offers in the classes of 2021 and 2022 in recent weeks, as the staff seems to be zeroing in on their top early targets. 

One of those offers was to Wilbraham (Mass.) Monson Academy four-star power forward Kyle Filipowski, and the versatile forward has seen his recruitment skyrocket since the contact period for 2022 basketball recruits opened in mid June.

He received his first few offers before the contact period opened, with Providence, Vanderbilt, UCLA and UConn handing out scholarships to him. Starting on June 15th, things really started to ramp up for the rising junior. 

On that one day, Filipowski received offers from Virginia Tech, Maryland, Boston College, Marquette and Xavier and then continued the busy month with Iowa, Louisville, Creighton and Purdue. In July, Georgetown offered and then Notre Dame threw their hat in the ring on July 24th, becoming his most recent offer. 

“Prior to the contact period, I was in contact with a good amount of coaches,” Filipowski said. “My AAU and high school coaches would set up phone calls for me, but the contact period really blew it up. I was lucky to have the experience beforehand, so I could better prepare for all of this.”

Filipowski is ranked as the No. 81 player in the country on 247sports and the No. 1 player in the state of Massachusetts. On top of his already impressive offer list, he has a good mix of programs in contact with him as well. Indiana, Virginia, Villanova, Ohio State, Stanford, Michigan, Illinois, Georgia, Clemson, Pitt and Northwestern are all showing heavy interest.

The 6-9 forward has also spoken frequently with Ivy League programs Harvard, Yale, Columbia and Princeton, showing off his academic prowess. In a college program, he is looking for a blend of atmosphere, comfortability and big time basketball.

“What I am really looking for is the best fit for me,” he told Irish Breakdown. “I haven’t been able to visit any campuses yet, but once I can get out and take some college visits, I think I will have a better sense of what I want environment wise.

“I want to have an amazing four year college experience,” he continued. “Somewhere with a supporting cast of players and coaches that I have great relationships with. I want a program that will help me grow as a player and also a person off the court. I want a lifelong relationship with the university and the people in it, but also one of my dreams is to win conference and National Championships.”

Regarding his Notre Dame offer and interest, Filipowski’s high school coach had been in a good amount of communication with the Irish staff prior to the contact period opening up, but his first time interacting with head coach Mike Brey was on June 15th. That started the relationship and eventually led to the Notre Dame offer late last month.

“Coach Brey called me and introduced himself on June 15th,” he stated. “I knew they had interest because my coach had been in contact with the staff a good amount, but this was my first interaction with them.

“Then Coach Brey called me again (on July 24th), and we caught up for a little bit,” he continued. “We talked about getting on a zoom meeting soon, so I can check out the campus and learn more about the program. After we sorta set those plans, he just told me he wanted to offer me a scholarship. I am just looking forward to getting to know the program and developing that relationship further.”

It is still early in the process for the 2022 standout, but his high school coach is already preaching to him that his style of play would fit well in the Notre Dame system. 

Filipowski is a hard worker on the basketball court and will give it his best effort all the time. He is also extremely versatile due to his height and ability to shoot, drive and post up whenever needed. Standing at 6-10 and nearly 220 pounds, if he can shoot it from the perimeter and dominate on the block he would fit most teams very well.

“The number one thing for me is I always bring 100% effort when I am on the court,” he stated. “I consider my game to be an all-around style. I can post up against any size defender, and then I can face up or make a move with my back to the basket. I can also take it out to the three-point line and shoot the three consistently or drive and create for others. I am really comfortable with handling the ball and doing pretty much anything needed of me on the court.

“Regarding Notre Dame and my style of play, my coach thinks I would be a great fit in their program,” he continued. “I’m absolutely interested in them, and I am always open to learning more about a program and finding out what they have to offer.”

As for a commitment timeline, Filipowski wants to take the process slow. He doesn’t feel the need to rush into any decision, and he hasn’t thought much about a specific decision timeline. One thing is for sure though, his process will likely get a whole lot tougher over the next year or so as teams continue to offer and show interest. A few months ago, he was an unranked 2022 prospect with zero offers and all of that has changed in a short period of time.

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