Duke Basketball: 3 keys for the Blue Devils versus the Clemson Tigers

3. Protect the paint and force Clemson to take perimeter shots

The Tigers have not been an efficient three-point shooting team this year. They rank 281st in three-point percentage – shooting 31.6 percent from behind the arc.

Instead the Tigers have run most of their offense from inside the three-point line. This is starting to become more uncommon for teams to focus on two-pointers so heavily –  as the game is changing to more guard play and perimeter focused. Two-point shots have been the bread and butter for this Tigers team though. They are shooting 59.4 percent from inside the arc, which has them ranked 9th overall.

With so many of the Tiger players shooting in the fifties or sixty percent from inside the three-point line – players like Williamson and Marques Bolden will be keys for the Blue Devils interior defense. The Blue Devils average 8 blocks per game, which has them ranked 1st overall. Even if the Blue Devils aren’t blocking shots – they are still altering shots with their size and length. Williamson and Bolden will also have to use their size to their advantage so they don’t get pushed around in the post. Lastly, once the Blue Devils get a stop they must finish with a box out to secure defensive rebounds.

The Blue Devils will need to be defensively sound and try to keep the Tigers out of the paint. It will be interesting to see how the Blue Devils respond to being ranked No. 1 again, and coming back from a long break.