Jul 14, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Utah Jazz forward Kyle Filipowski (22) dribbles the ball against San Antonio Spurs forward Osayi Osifo (26) during the first half of a NBA basketball game at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

ESPN Snubs Utah Jazz's Kyle Filipowski From Year 2 Rankings

Originally posted on Utah Jazz on SI | By Jared Koch | Last updated Jul 31, 2025 10:16 AM ET

Heading into the 2025-26 NBA season, ESPN decided to stack up ten of the league's most intriguing sophomore cases, sorting through the top year two names to keep tabs on in what, for many, could be a breakout campaign on the horizon.

However, in the case of the Utah Jazz, they didn't have a single name of note within ESPN's top ten–– even excluding the reigning Summer League MVP Kyle Filipowski, who certainly drew some attention to himself during his three games on the floor in Las Vegas.

For ESPN's Jeremy Woo, instead, he saw at least 10 other players ahead of Filipowski deserving of that recognition, headlined by Houston Rockets' third-overall pick Reed Sheppard at the top of the list, all the way down to even Oklahoma City Thunder guard Nikola Topic, who technically doesn't even qualify as a second-year player.

Much like how both Filipowski and 29th-overall pick Isaiah Collier fared in this year's batch of All-Rookie selections, neither made the cut. But, nevertheless, both guys will certainly be vital pieces of what the Jazz are set to be building next season, and could have a route to a year two breakout being in the cards.

For Filipowski, he comes off five games in Summer League through both Vegas and Salt Lake City showing just how strong and versatile he can be on the offensive end of the floor–– leading the field in scoring average at 29.3, logging 7,7 rebounds a night, and becoming the Jazz's first-ever Summer League MVP in the process.

And Collier, while having an up-and-down summer league stint, had his fair share of showings this past season to present some strong upside to be had for him and his future as an NBA-level guard. The best example of that comes during Collier's dominant Western Conference Rookie of the Year-level month in February, averaging 11.5 points, 9.5 assists and 3.9 rebounds during said stretch.

While the abundance of national media love hasn't come their way just yet, keep a close eye on both Jazzmen heading into their second year in Utah.