No. 8 Duke was upset in an 83-79 loss to Wake Forest on Saturday, and star Blue Devil Kyle Filipowski was injured in the celebrations.
The court was immediately stormed by fans when regulation ended. Filipowski, a projected top 10 NBA Draft pick, was walking off the court when a fan sprinted in his path. He appeared to roll his ankle during the chaos, leading teammates and personnel to rush and help him off the court.
Duke head coach Jon Scheyer called for change as he spoke to reporters after the loss:
“Flip sprains his ankle,” he said. “When are we going to ban court stormings?”
Filipowski later took the podium and clarified that he injured his knee. His status going forward is unclear.
Filipowski had just finished a solid game against the Demon Deacons, recording 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
Before offering a disclaimer that he doesn’t want to take away from Wake Forest’s win, Scheyer emphasized the danger of the fans’ actions.
“When I played, at least it was 10 seconds and then they would run on the floor,” he said. “Now, the buzzer doesn’t even go off and they’re running on the floor. This has happened to us a bunch this year.”
Jon Scheyer: “When are we going to ban court-storming? … It’s a dangerous thing.”
Scheyer says Kyle Filipowski sprained his ankle during the Wake Forest court-storm. pic.twitter.com/zE1yr7O6bJ
— Josh Graham (@JoshGrahamShow) February 24, 2024
In his comments, Scheyer referenced an incident that saw Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark collide with a court-storming Ohio State Buckeyes fan after an upset last month.
Clark didn’t sustain a lasting injury, saying that the fan “knocked the wind out of her” while she was trying to get off the hardwood.
This story will be updated.
Daniel Miller is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. His coverage spans from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis for sports enthusiasts.
