Kyle Filipowski returning to Duke, five-star Mackenzie Mgbako asks for release
Duke's men's basketball program has had an eventful 24 hours.
On Monday morning, captain Jeremy Roach announced he will declare for the 2023 NBA Draft while maintaining his college eligibility, leaving the door open for a potential return to Durham. Then, on Tuesday morning, the Blue Devils' leading scorer, Kyle Filipowski, announced his decision to return to Duke for his sophomore season.
The news did not stop there as five-star forward Mackenzie Mgbako, who committed to Duke and is considered to be one of the top prospects in the 2023 class, requested a release from his letter of intent shortly after Filipowski made his decision to return public.
Filipowski was one of the top freshmen in the nation this past season, averaging a team-best 15.1 points and 8.9 rebounds while leading Duke to a 27-9 record and an ACC Tournament title. The 7-foot skilled big man recorded 16 double-doubles this season en route to being named the ACC Freshman of the Year.
Mgbako announced his plans to request a release from his Duke commitment less than 30 minutes after Filipowski posted a video on Twitter announcing his return.
"After long thought, prayers and discussions with my parents and trusted advisors, I am writing to formally request a release from my NLI to Duke University," Mgbako wrote in a post on Twitter. "While I have great appreciation and respect for the Duke coaching staff and fans for their interest in me, I feel that there will be other places for me to continue my basketball journey, so I will be re-opening the recruiting process to all schools. Sending a big thanks to all my supporters, friends and family for continuing to show love."
Mgbako, who stands at 6-foot-8, 210 pounds, announced his commitment to Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils back on April 8, 2022, and signed his letter of commitment this past November. He was the highest-ranked recruit in Duke's 2023 class, which ranked No. 2 in the nation, per 247Sports.com. He is the No. 2-ranked power forward in the class and the No. 7 overall prospect.
Before announcing his commitment, Mgbako released a top-four list, which included Kentucky, Memphis and Ohio State, in addition to Duke.
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