Rising Duke sophomore Kyle Filipowski has acknowledged his growing reputation as a "Blue Devil villain," placing himself in the company of past Duke players who drew the ire of opposing fans, such as Christian Laettner, J.J. Redick, and Grayson Allen. Rather than shying away from this image, Filipowski is using the criticism as motivation to propel Duke back to the top of men's college basketball.

In a recent appearance on Duke basketball's "The Brotherhood" podcast, the seven-foot center addressed the negativity he faced during his freshman year. "I definitely heard some negative things last year," Filipowski admitted. "But that comes with the territory when you're a talented player on a high-profile team. Honestly, it's amusing. These people are paying to watch me play, and they're using that time to criticize me? It's quite entertaining, and I use it as fuel."

Filipowski had an impressive freshman campaign, averaging a team-leading 15.1 points and 9 rebounds per game across 36 starts. His performance earned him ACC Rookie of the Year honors. Despite winning the ACC Tournament, Duke's season ended with a disappointing Round of 32 loss to Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament.

Filipowski revealed that his strong connection to Duke played a significant role in his decision to return for his sophomore year. "I genuinely loved my experience last year," he explained. "Winning a national championship is a major goal of mine, and I believe Duke gives me the best chance to achieve that. If I had chosen a different college, I likely would have declared for the NBA draft. My enjoyment at Duke made me want to stay for another year."

A highly touted five-star recruit from Wilbraham & Monson Academy in Massachusetts, Filipowski also earned ACC Tournament MVP and All-ACC Second Team honors during his freshman season.