Duke Coach Heated After Kyle Filipowski Injured During Wake Forest Court Storming

Duke star Kyle Filipowski suffered an ankle injury on Saturday after Wake Forest fans rushed the court following the Demon Deacons' 83-79 upset over the Blue Devils in Winston-Salem. 

Fans stormed the floor immediately as the buzzer sounded, and Filipowski got tangled up with someone around mid-court. Teammates rushed to assist him and attempted to clear a path for the 7-foot center as he hobbled on one leg toward the locker room.

A closer angle shows Filipowski colliding with a fan then bouncing off several other court stormers before a staffer runs in to catch him.

After the game, Filipowski said he felt the incident was personal. 

"There's some videos of me getting punched in the back," the 20-year-old said. "I absolutely feel like it was personal. Intentional, for sure. There's no reason (when) they see a big guy like me trying to work my way off the court that they can't just work around you."

Kyle Filipowski Injury Adds Fuel To Court-Storming Debate

Duke head coach Jon Scheyer was heated after the game — questioning why fans are allowed to rush onto the floor in the first place.

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"When are we going to ban court storming? When are we going to ban that?" Scheyer asked. "How many times does a player have to get into something where they get punched or they get pushed or they get taunted right in their face? It's a dangerous thing."

Scheyer also referenced an incident in January when Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark was shaken up after colliding with a fan who stormed the court after her Hawkeyes fell to Ohio State in Columbus.

Although frustrated with the outcome, Scheyer said he didn't want to take anything away from Wake Forest.

"They earned it. They deserved the win. Steve [Forbes] is a hell of a coach. I respect the heck out of him and his team. They're really good," Scheyer said. "And if this isn't an example that they need to be in a tournament, what are we even talking about?"

(Cory Knowlton, USA Today)

Filipowski scored a team-high 17 points for Duke and leads the Blue Devils this season in points and rebounds per game. The former five-star recruit is in his second season with the program, and he's a potential top-10 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. 

Scheyer indicated Filipowski sprained his ankle, but he is unsure of the severity of the injury. With the NCAA Tournament right around the corner, though, the Blue Devils need their big man healthy.