Duke center Kyle Filipowski had to be carried off the floor after a crowd storm gone awry following the Blue Devils’ 83-79 loss to Wake Forest, raising questions as to whether or not storming the court should remain legal in college basketball.
After Filipowski’s three-pointer with 43 seconds left to cut the visiting Blue Devils’ deficit to two points, Duke never got a shot off the rest of the way, turning the ball over twice down the stretch before two free throws by Hunter Sallis sealed the deal with a second remaining.
Wake fans, understandably delighted with the season-defining victory over the No.8 team in the country, stormed the court as the final buzzer sounded. A fan collided legs with Filipowski, Duke’s leading scorer, forcing the star in pain severe enough that he could not walk off on his own power. Both Filipowski and Duke coach Jon Scheyer called for court storming to be banned in the future to avoid potentially dangerous incidents such as this.
This incident comes weeks after National Player of the Year favorite Caitlin Clark was knocked to the floor during a court storm after her Iowa Hawkeyes were upset 100-92 on the road against Ohio State. Calls for the ban of court storming have only gained momentum since.