Last year, Peter Filipovity didn’t start a single game for the University of Maine men’s basketball team. This year, he could be the team’s most valuable player.
At 6-foot-7 and 215 lbs, Filipovity is a senior forward from Kaposvar, Hungary, who does it all for the Black Bears. Through 21 games this season, Filipovity is UMaine’s leading scorer (13.6 ppg), most efficient shot-taker (58.3 field goal percentage) and best rebounder (7.6 rpg), further building upon what was considered a breakout junior season.
Having asserted himself as UMaine’s “glue guy,” as one teammate dubbed him, Filipovity was elevated into the starting lineup this offseason and hasn’t looked back. Whether he’s diving for loose balls or going to work below the rim, Filipovity continues to embody everything second-year head coach Chris Markwood stands for: hard work, persistence and defensive intensity.
“The kid’s tough as nails. He’s a worker; a lunch pail guy — he’s really having a bigtime year for us,” Markwood said. “He’s just got a knack for the basketball, and a knack for scoring in a really crafty way around the rim. It’s not always the prettiest, but he’s always in there mixing it up, [finding] ways to be productive — he’s not scared of anyone or anything.”
Filipovity certainly isn’t scared of the moment either, serving as UMaine’s closer on multiple occasions this season.
Against Brown University at home on Dec. 3, Filipovity scored UMaine’s final seven points in less than two minutes — including an emphatic 3-point play with 21 seconds to go — sending The Pit into hysterics, and the visiting Bears packing.
Three days later at Boston University, Filipovity was at it again, scoring eight of UMaine’s final 16 points — including two clutch 3-pointers — to slam the door shut on the Terriers’ comeback bid and notch his second 20-point double-double of the season.
Flash forward to today, Filipovity now has four of these 20-point double-doubles; prior to this year, Filipovity hadn’t recorded a single one. But when asked, the Hungarian says he’s not surprised about his unanticipated career year.
“I did [expect it], personally. I’ve been working [on] my game for four years now,” Filipovity said. “I just wanna make my presence felt on the court. I’m a big energy guy. I get the rebounds, I help the team when the opponent’s making a comeback.”
Fortunately for Markwood and company, Filipovity still has another year of eligibility if he decides to use it — and the Black Bears sure hope that he will. In the America East conference, UMaine is last in scoring (68.1 ppg) and rebounding (32.6 rpg), so Filipovity is playing a vital role for the Black Bears as the Conference’s No. 10 scorer and No. 4 rebounder, respectively.
Under Markwood, UMaine basketball still has room for improvement, but is undoubtedly more relevant than it has been in 10-plus years. Filipovity has progressed in parallel with UMaine’s renaissance, and his contributions will be a mainstay for the Black Bears in the coming months.
