Kyle Filipowski’s brother, Daniel, has publicly criticized Duke after Kyle, a 20-year-old player, slipped out of the first round of the NBA Draft amidst a contentious relationship. Despite a successful season with the Blue Devils and attending the draft in person, Kyle was not picked on the first day and was eventually selected 32nd overall by the Utah Jazz. Allegations from Filipowski’s family about his relationship with fiancée Caitlin Hutchinson surfaced ahead of the second round.
Daniel condemned the Blue Devils’ coaching staff for their handling of Kyle and his relationship with his older girlfriend. He accused Duke of not maintaining the standards set by former coach Mike Krzyzewski, who retired in 2022, tweeting: “Duke is no longer Duke anymore… SICK,” with three vomiting emojis.
On Sunday, Daniel posted a series of messages on X, expressing his disappointment: “As someone aspiring to be a head coach for a D1 program and with nine years of experience coaching high school and AAU basketball, I am grateful for the genuine relationships I’ve had with my players and their families. Growing up, I idolized and wanted to be the next Coach K. The success he built at Duke has been torn down in two years. An absolute shame! Duke is really missing Coach K…
“The staff turned their backs when we asked for help from the start. Duke students, you know the story you were told to keep quiet. Your voices have the power to push this further!
“You can help many families facing serious problems. Future families of students and athletes should reconsider where Duke’s priorities lie. It’s NOT in your kids’ best interests!”
Daniel and his mother Rebecca claimed on social media that Hutchinson, whom they say is 28, forced Filipowski to become estranged from his family, alleging that she “groomed” him. This unusual situation reportedly deterred NBA teams, as noted by ESPN reporter Jonathan Givony.
“NBA teams had concerns about his girlfriend being much older and why he was estranged from his family,” Givony said on “NBA Today”. “He apparently doesn’t talk to his parents or his brother, which is very odd. I don’t understand why this caused him to fall to the second round. There are no character concerns, but NBA teams were talking about his nerves and unimpressive workouts. When they asked him about the situation in interviews, his answers were unsatisfactory to them.”
