The first recruit of the Jon Scheyer era is official.
Four-star forward Kyle Filipowski committed to Duke Thursday morning, per his Twitter page.
"Coach K retiring didn't change how I felt about Duke," Filipowski told ESPN. "I've been building this relationship with Coach Scheyer for over six months now, and the vision he has, not just for me but for my class, is something that I can envision myself in. I believe in him and what he is planning. I think being a part of that and helping him make his own name at Duke would be something very special for both of us. I just wanted to carry on the dynasty of Duke but also create a foundation with Coach Scheyer."
Filipowski is the No. 20 recruit in ESPN's Class of 2022 rankings, and the fourth-ranked power forward. The Wilbraham & Monson Academy product becomes the first commit of the Blue Devils' 2022 class, which will be Scheyer's first recruiting class as the program's head coach.
In an interview with AllSyracuse.com this past April, Wilbraham & Monson Academy head coach Mike Mannix emphasized the versatility Filipowski has to go along with his 6-foot-10, 220-pound frame.
"He rebounds what seems like almost every ball," Mannix said. "He can handle it, he can shoot it, he can post up. He was darn close to being a 40 percent three point shooter this year. Averaged 21 points a game, 13 rebounds a game."
The New York native garnered offers from a number of big-name schools including Kentucky, North Carolina, Michigan and Syracuse but was widely projected to end up choosing Duke, especially given the leadership of Filipowski's AAU team, the N.Y. Rens. The Rens’ executive director, Andy Borman, is a former Blue Devil walk-on and nephew to Mike Krzyzewski's wife Mickie, while former All-American Duke guard Chris Duhon is an assistant coach on the team.
Filipowski is expected to be joined in Durham by No. 6 overall recruit Dariq Whitehead, who is announcing his decision this Sunday. All eight experts who have made predictions for Whitehead on 247Sports' Crystal Ball have him choosing Duke.
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