You can't hold onto them all. A day after it was reported that junior Tyrese Proctor would be returning to Duke basketball for the 2024-25 season, the program is losing its top player and one of the most impressive freshman in the country, respectively. Kyle Filipowski and Jared McCain are officially declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft, per CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein.
Both talents are projected to be lottery picks, so fans were bracing themselves for their seemingly inevitable departures. Even so, it will be tough for the Blue Devils community to bid these former five-star recruits farewell.
Although Filipowski's Duke career ends on a whimper (3-of-12 shooting in Elite Eight loss to NC State), the Second-Team All-American enjoyed a standout run in Durham. He averaged 16.4 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in his sophomore season.
McCain garnered plenty of national attention in his own right with his smooth shooting stroke and solid playmaking abilities. Going pro likely became a much easier decision for him after he scored 30 points in two separate NCAA Tournament games this year.
This is a bittersweet day for the Cameron Crazies, as an additional year with either one or both of these stars could have elevated the Blue Devils to frightening levels next season. The roster is in good shape, regardless, with Cooper Flagg arriving, but the contributions of these two individuals cannot be so easily dismissed.
The good news for fans, though, is that Duke basketball will once again be well-represented in the NBA Draft. And by the looks of it, neither Jared McCain nor Kyle Filipowski will have to wait too long before hearing their names called by commissioner Adam Silver.
Teams will value Jared McCain's offensive prowess
A lack of size is often a concern in the pre-draft process. NBA executives might deem McCain too small at 6-foot-3 to slot him in at the shooting guard position, thereby causing him to possibly dip out of the lottery round. That being said, he has the skill set to immediately become a valuable supporting player in the NBA, and potentially an integral part of a team.
The 20-year-old out of Sacramento, California scored 14.3 points per game while shooting 46.2 percent from the field and a blistering 41.4 percent from 3-point range. His modest assist numbers (1.9) also belie his passing capabilities, which were limited by the presence of Duke backcourt mate Jeremy Roach. Averaging 5.0 rebounds per contest is worth noting, too.
If Jared McCain opted to return to Duke for the 2024-25 campaign, one has to assume he would have morphed into an All-American caliber-player. But perhaps he can still make a sizable jump in his development as an NBA rookie.
Coaching and circumstance will obviously be instrumental in making that happen. Multiple mock drafts predict him to wind up with the Oklahoma City Thunder at No. 12. If such a scenario does indeed come to fruition this June, the bouquet of flowers sitting at Sam Presti's feet could get even bigger.
Kyle Filipowski fits the modern big man mold
Filipowski, who expressed his gratitude to Duke Nation in a social media post on Friday, is seen as a bit of a wild card heading into the 2024 NBA Draft. One thing is for certain, however. He made the right move by staying in school for another year. The 7-footer improved in several facets of his game, most notably as a 3-point shooter.
He attempted 3.1 shots per game from distance, knocking them down at a 34.8 percent clip this past season. With that upgrade, Filipowski is far better suited to be an effective center in the modern NBA.
He will have to prove he is strong and physical enough to earn key minutes, as his showing versus DJ Burns Jr. and the Wolf Pack is still fresh in most people's minds. Despite those questions, a franchise is going to make a decent initial investment in Kyle Filipowski.
Duke basketball will wish these now-former Blue Devils stars well on this pivotal next step of their basketball careers and thank them for the memories, but attention is naturally going to shift to the future of this program. These upcoming weeks and months are crucial for all involved.
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