Duke star Kyle Filipowski was injured after Wake Forest fans stormed the court Saturday to celebrate an upset win over the Blue Devils, and ESPN’s broadcast team responded to the situation within seconds.
As the buzzer sounded for Wake’s 83-79 win, fans rushed the court. Within seven seconds, the ESPN broadcast cut to a view of Filipowski surrounded by teammates and coaches, as other team members tried to fend off fans.
ESPN play-by-play announcer Mike Monaco and color analyst Chris Spatola quickly weighed in on the game broadcast.
“Kyle Filipowski is being helped off by Duke staff,” Monaco said. “And you saw the immediate bear hug surrounding him as this court storming is in full effect, with Filipowski hobbled. Wow!”
“That should not happen,” Spatola said. “That right there is why court storming should not happen.”
“It has become a hot-button issue over the last few years,” Monaco responded.
Expect to hear much more about this issue in the days to come, given the injury to Filipowski. Duke coach Jon Scheyer told reporters after the game the center had suffered a sprained ankle, before asking the question everyone is wondering.
“Flip sprains his ankle. When are we going to ban court stormings?” Scheyer said.
The Duke center was a preseason first-team All-American selection. It’s the second time in a matter of weeks that a college basketball superstar has been involved in such an incident. Iowa star Caitlin Clark had to be helped off the court after an Ohio State fan collided with her while celebrating on the court after a game.
Fans quickly reacted to the incident.
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About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.