PITTSBURGH –.A wild morning of news fluttered through ACC headlines as blue blood programs saw major changes to their rosters. Duke, North Carolina, and Syracuse were all affected by the moves.
Star Forward Kyle Filipowski Returns to Duke
A potential lottery pick, Duke freshman Kyle Filipowski is returning to the Blue Devils for his sophomore season. The ACC Rookie of the Year and Second Team All-ACC selection averaged 15.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.6 assists for Duke in 36 games (all starts). He shot 44% from the floor and 28% behind the three-point arc, making 35 of 124 attempts. Filipowski totaled 47 steals and 26 blocks along with 90 offensive rebounds for first-year head coach Jon Scheyer.
Filipowski dominated Pitt inside Cameron Indoor Stadium in the first matchup between the two teams. The 7-footer scored 28 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, four on the offensive end, in a come-from-behind victory powered by domination on the glass. Tyrese Proctor and Mark Mitchell previously announced they are returning to Duke for an additional season.
Louisville Transfer Forward Jae’Lyn Withers Commits to North Carolina
Former Louisville forward Jae’Lyn Withers has committed to North Carolina, according to On3. Withers averaged 8.9 points and 5.3 rebounds for the Cardinals during their 4-28 season, the team’s worst in program history. The 6-foot-9 redshirt junior originally from Charlotte started 29 of 32 games and averaged over 25 minutes per game. He averaged 7.9 points and 5.5 rebounds in 82 games (64 starts) spanning four seasons at Louisville.
RJ Davis and Armando Bacot return to UNC after missing the NCAA Tournament despite being ranked the preseason No. 1 team by the AP Poll. Caleb Love transferred to Michigan while Leaky Black and Pete Nance are out of eligibility. The Heels were one of the last four teams out of the tournament and fell to Virginia in the ACC Tournament to end their campaign, opting not to participate in the NIT.
Syracuse Forward Jesse Edwards Enters Transfer Portal
Jesse Edwards is looking for a fresh start in the college basketball landscape. Syracuse.com writer Donna Ditora reported early Tuesday that Edwards has entered the transfer portal, according to his dad. Edwards, 23, started all 32 games for the Orange in Jim Boeheim’s final season. He averaged a double-double at 14.5 points and 10.3 rebounds per game during his senior year, all spend at Syracuse. Edwards also added career-bests in steals (44) and blocks (87).
Syracuse failed to reach the NCAA Tournament and was eliminated by Wake Forest in the second round of the ACC Tournament. The Orange ended 17-15 overall and 10-10 in conference play. Adrian Autry takes over a team now without Edwards, guard Joe Girard in the transfer portal, and Judah Mintz declared for the 2023 NBA Draft.
Top Recruit Mackenzie Mgbako Requests Release From NLI at Duke
The return of Kyle Filipowski sent shockwaves through the Duke program and may have affected the future of one of the Blue Devils’ top recruits. Five-star prospect Mackenzie Mgbako is looking to reopen his recruitment and requested a release from his National Letter of Intent, according to On3’s Joe Tipton.
Mgabako is a 6-foot-8 forward ranked No. 7 in the country by 247Sports from Gladstone, New Jersey. He also received interest from Kentucky, Auburn, UConn, and others before committing to Scheyer and Duke.
