Duke's Filipowski hobbled after fan collision during court-storming following Wake Forest's win
Duke star big man Kyle Filipowski was hobbled after a collision with a fan rushing onto the court to celebrate Wake Forest's win against the eighth-ranked Blue Devils
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — Kyle Filipowski remembered seeing the images of Iowa women's basketball star Caitlin Clark being accidentally knocked down by a fan storming the court after her team suffered an upset loss.
Roughly a month later, Duke's 7-foot star found himself part of the same discussion on the dangers of court- storming, his right leg wrapped in plastic to fasten an icebag to his kneecap. And he wasn't happy about what had just happened.
“Just like any other upset game where the fans rush the court, all hell goes crazy,” Filipowski said after being hobbled in a collision with an on-rushing fan after the eighth-ranked Blue Devils lost at Wake Forest on Saturday. “Just trying to get my way off the court, and you know, you’ve got these crazy college students just doing whatever they want. It’s got to be a little more protective when things like that happen.”
The Clark incident, coming Jan. 21 after then-No. 2 Iowa's loss at Ohio State, offered a reminder of the risk facing athletes and coaching staffs stuck in the path of an oncoming exuberant rush of fans eager to celebrate at midcourt.
