Duke basketball hosts Countdown to Craziness. Three takeaways from the annual scrimmage
Duke men’s basketball hosted its annual Countdown to Craziness on Friday night in front of packed and lively Cameron Indoor Stadium stands.
The white team — made up of the Blue Devils’ more experienced players — defeated the blue team, 33-18, and learned a lot about itself during the scrimmage.
“The white group did a great job sharing the ball and had some fun plays, but just thought it was a fun night,” Duke head coach Jon Scheyer said. “Just thought it was a special night celebrating Duke and really kicking the season off. We have a lot of work to do and a lot of things to worry about, but, for tonight, to enjoy this one and for our team to have some fun was a great thing.”
Here are three takeaways from the team’s yearly event:
Kyle Filipowski is back
Fans got their first look at the reigning ACC Rookie of the Year, who has been in and out of practice this offseason after he underwent surgery in April on both hips to correct an issue with his ball-and-socket joints. During an appearance on the “Brotherhood Podcast,” with center Ryan Young, Filipowski said the ball of the joint was shaped more like a football rather than being round. The Duke medical staff found the developmental abnormality during an MRI before his freshman season.
Scheyer said the sophomore recently missed practice due to concussion protocol. Filipowski has only been back for about one week, he said.
“I’m just glad he didn’t come out to Shakira, ‘Hips don’t lie.’ I heard that was in discussion, and I don’t know how that would have played out,” Scheyer said.
“He’s stronger,” Scheyer continued. “He’s more athletic ... He’s the best that I’ve seen him in terms of his body. His game is still coming back, but I’m just really happy for him, because it’s not easy when you get that done. “
Last season, Filipowski started every game for the Blue Devils and led the team with an average of 15.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, helping the squad earn an ACC title and trip to the NCAA Tournament.
He unofficially started his season with five points — including one poster-worthy dunk — three rebounds and three assists. Plus, he lobbed a pass to Christian Reeves for a slick alley-oop.
“My legs feel really good. My hips feel phenomenal,” Filipowski said. “I’m just getting better everyday. Everyday is a better day for me in my body, so it’s a great feeling to have.”
Duke’s guards
The frontcourt may carry more of the load this season — at least based on a small sample size — but the guards showed promise.
Senior Jeremy Roach led all scorers with 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting, including 3-of-6 from deep. Sophomore Tyrese Proctor added five points, three boards and three assists.
Rookies Jared McCain and Caleb Foster combined for eight points. The duo struggled with efficiency, going 4-of-13 from the field. McCain, however, pulled down three rebounds, while Foster contributed two assists.
“Caleb and Jared, man, they’ve such a bright future,” Scheyer said. “They’re tough guards. They’re really good, and now it’s time to actually play together against somebody else.”
Notably, junior Jaylen Blakes went scoreless in 13 minutes on the floor and took just one shot. Scheyer said he felt like Blakes and sophomore Tyrese Proctor, who scored five points, showed maturity and chemistry.
“I think you can tell we have a deep backcourt with Proctor, Roach and Caleb,” McCain said. “Just expect a lot of things from us. I think we’ll be able to carry the weight here.”
Cooper Flagg joins the Crazies
The nation’s No. 1 prospect, Cooper Flagg, attended Countdown to Craziness, along with several fellow recruits. He sat behind the bench for part of the scrimmage, before joining the Cameron Crazies after their “Cooper Flagg sit with us” chant.
Flagg is a 6-foot-8 power forward from Maine who attends Montverde Academy in Florida. He is reportedly choosing between Duke and UConn.
The 2024 recruit was joined by fellow five-star recruiting targets VJ Edgecombe and Patrick Ngongba, who were also on official visits to the university. They, too, joined the Cameron Crazies during the scrimmage.
This story was originally published October 20, 2023 at 10:53 PM.
