Details emerge from secret scrimmage against Villanova

Details emerge from Duke basketball’s secretive scrimmage.

The Duke and Villanova basketball programs, both significant brands in college basketball, faced off in a secret scrimmage in Washington D.C. on Saturday. Despite the inability to watch the game, leaks in the media have kept the entire country informed.

Head coaches Jon Scheyer and Kyle Neptune agreed to this “secret scrimmage” arrangement, preventing them from commenting on the matchup directly. However, there have been interesting remarks about Duke’s performance against the Big East contender, even though the final score hasn’t been made public.

College basketball insider Jeff Goodman shared, “Kyle Filipowski, who recently recovered from hip surgeries, looked VERY GOOD in today’s secret scrimmage against Villanova,” showcasing his confidence in Duke’s player.

ALSO READ: Kyle Filipowski flaunts new hips with emphatic dunk

Kyle Filipowski, ACC Preseason Player of the Year, underwent hip surgery in March. Since recovering, he has displayed enhanced athleticism and fluid movement on the court without pain.

Last week, the 7-footer amazed spectators during the team’s scrimmage at Countdown to Craziness with a baseline dunk that would have seemed impossible for him to execute last season.

In the 16-minute scrimmage, Filipowski contributed five points and three rebounds. Although the performance was modest, hearing about his positive showing against Villanova’s experienced and talented frontcourt is undoubtedly encouraging.

Other standout Duke basketball players in the scrimmage

However, freshmen guards Jared McCain and Caleb Foster did not have their best showing during the Countdown to Craziness scrimmage.

Whether it was due to feeling overwhelmed in the packed Cameron Indoor Stadium for the first time in their careers or simply having an off shooting night, the two 5-star recruits combined for eight points on 4-of-13 shooting, missing all four of their 3-point attempts.

Fortunately, their performance seemed to improve on Saturday.

ALSO READ: Duke forward Kyle Filipowski named as youngest All-American

“I was also told that the freshmen guards, McCain and Foster, played well for Duke,” Goodman reported.

It seems likely that Jared McCain could secure a spot in Duke’s starting lineup when the season begins on Monday, November 6 against Dartmouth (9:00 p.m. ET, ACC Network). However, the Blue Devils will have their only public exhibition on Wednesday, November 1 (7:00 p.m. ET, ACC Network Extra) against UNC Pembroke.

• Published on 10/29/2023 at 11:35 AM EDT
• Last updated on 10/29/2023 at 12:40 AM EDT