The Duke haters are out in full force Saturday night.
The Blue Devils have had some notorious players in their history, and many think Kyle Filipowski is the latest.
Saturday night’s Duke-North Carolina matchup is much more than the best rivalry in college basketball.
The ACC title is on the line.
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Kyle Filipowski of the Duke Blue Devils reacts after a dunk against the Virginia Cavaliers at Cameron Indoor Stadium March 2, 2024, in Durham, N.C. (Lance King/Getty Images)
North Carolina, ranked seventh in the country, has clinched at least a share of the regular season crown. With a win Saturday, the Tar Heels will have sole possession of the title. They will split it with No. 9 Duke if the Blue Devils win.
In the first half, Filipowski and UNC’s Harrison Ingram fell to the floor after Duke grabbed a defensive rebound.
Ingram got up first and attempted to run back on defense. But before he could take even two steps, he tripped over Filipowski’s leg.
There was immediately debate about whether it was intentional, and the overwhelming social media reaction is that it was.
Some users on X, formerly Twitter, joked that Filipowski had changed his stance on making contact with players on the court, referencing his injuries from when Wake Forest fans stormed the court against the Blue Devils a couple weeks ago.
Head coach Jon Scheyer of the Duke Blue Devils talks with Kyle Filipowski during the second half of a the game against the Clemson Tigers at Cameron Indoor Stadium Jan. 27, 2024, in Durham, N.C. (Lance King/Getty Images)
“Kyle Filipowski’s leg has healed so miraculously he can even trip opposing players with it,” Sportsgrid host Ben Stevens wrote.
“This is significantly more egregious than anything, any Wake Forest student did to Kyle Filipowski,” added Fox Sports Radio host Aaron Torres.
Filipowski doesn’t get the benefit of the doubt considering who he plays for, and many were quick to compare him to a Duke alum accused of his fair share of dirty plays.
“Grayson? Is that you?” The Field of 68 posted.
“Shades of Grayson Allen,” added Jackson Didlake.
Kyle Filipowski of the Duke Blue Devils, left, fouls Armando Bacot of the North Carolina Tar Heels during the first half of a game at Cameron Indoor Stadium March 9, 2024, in Durham, N.C. (Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
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Duke trailed the Tar Heels, 40-31, at half, but opened the second half on an 11-3 run to get to within one. However, that was the closest Duke would get, as UNC took home an 84-79 win, sweeping the season series and winning the ACC regular season title outright for the first time since 2017.
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