Syracuse, N.Y. – Kyle Filipowski, a 6-foot-10, four-star power forward in the Class of 2022, will make an official visit to Syracuse in early June, his high school coach said.
“It’s in the works for a visit in June,” said Wilbraham & Monson Academy coach Mike Mannix. “Just trying to hash out some details.”
Filipowski, whose fraternal twin brother, Matt, also attends WMA (we’ll get to him later), has a list of suitors that includes Iowa, Ohio State, UCLA, Stanford, Connecticut, Louisville and Notre Dame. Indiana has re-entered the conversation since the hiring of Mike Woodson but has not yet offered a scholarship, Mannix said.
Filipowski’s interest in the Orange, Mannix said, stems from a few criteria.
“One, the obvious, it’s Syracuse,” Mannix said. “The history of the program and the success of the program isn’t lost on him. And I also think just as important was location. There’s not a lot of schools that are around him in New York that provide the opportunity that Syracuse does.”
The Filipowskis are from downstate Westtown, New York, located near the border states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The brothers attended the public high school there, spent a year at Fordham Prep, then headed to WMA, which plays in the NEPSAC Class AA league.
Kyle is a skilled forward whose game bears a resemblance to former Syracuse star Tyler Lydon in that both big men count the 3-point shot as a significant part of their offensive arsenals. Kyle Filipowski averaged 21 points and 13 rebounds a game in an abbreviated 2021 high school season, his coach said. In one of those games, he scored 35 and went 5-for-5 from the 3-point line.
“His ability to handle the ball and his quickness and his length makes him really, really hard to guard when he puts it on the floor and gets his head and shoulders past somebody,” Mannix said. “Out in the open floor, he makes great decisions. His vision is really good. He’s an incredibly willing passer. In our last game of the year, he wasn’t scoring the ball as easily as he had the earlier games in the season and he finished with 10 points but had eight assists and 19 rebounds.”
Matt (left) and Kyle Filipowski (right) are fraternal twins and play together on the Wilbraham & Monson boys basketball team.
Matt Filipowski, Kyle’s twin, is a 7-foot, 245-pound center. Mannix described Matt Filipowski as a “big dude and a really good player.” His list of schools currently includes Pittsburgh, Illinois and Brown. Other schools have expressed interest, Mannix said. Syracuse is paying attention.
“Matthew averaged 15 points, rebounds the ball, really blocked shots this year,” Mannix said. “He has become one of those rim protectors to the point of being intimidating.”
Both brothers play for the New York Renaissance on the EYBL circuit. Nike, which sponsors the EYBL, canceled the 2020 summer sessions, but talk is that it will revive its signature Peach Jam in some form this summer. The Rens will play in various tournaments this spring and early summer.
Mike Mannix said he believed Kyle Filipowski will decide on a school during the fall, though that time frame could change. The NCAA recently ruled on the return to in-person recruiting and campus visits, both of which can happen after June 1. Both of those things were shelved for about a year because of Covid-19 concerns.
Contact Donna Ditota anytime: Email | Twitter