Duke Basketball: 3 keys for Blue Devils to take down Clemson Tigers

In a historic season where blue bloods have struggled mightily, Duke Basketball will attempt to continue their redemption story on Saturday, battling the Clemson Tigers in a tilt of two ailing – but potentially resurging ACC programs.

After enduring a three-game losing streak – with all three games on the road – against Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, and Louisville, the Blue Devils rebounded with a solid win on Tuesday, taking down an NCAA Tournament-caliber squad in Georgia Tech, 75-68, for their first win since January 9th.

The Blue Devils – who have struggled with inconsistency all season long – had stellar showings from four double-digit players, headlined by a 19-point performance from freshman DJ Steward (2-6 2PT, 3-6 3PT, 6-6 FT).  Joining him were talented classmate Jalen Johnson (18 points, 7-10 2PT), consistent double-digit threat Matthew Hurt (17 points, eight rebounds), and senior guard Jordan Goldwire (11 points, career-high-tying seven assists).

Duke will have the daunting task of taking down a Clemson team that – just last month, appeared like the team to beat in the ACC – but after returning from a COVID-19 pause, have struggled mightily in the past few weeks.  Like Duke, the Tigers also experienced a three-game losing streak, losing to Virginia, Georgia Tech, and Florida State by an average of 24 points each – but also like the Blue Devils, they are coming off a streak-ending win on Wednesday, having usurped Louisville at home.

In a defensive 54-50 victory, the Tigers’ highly-touted defense was on full display against the Cardinals, holding Louisville to 0.79 points per possession as well as clips of 39.4% (2PT) and 20.8% (3PT).  The Tigers, meanwhile, got double-digit performances out of All-Conference talent Aamir Simms (16 points, nine rebounds, four assists), Al-Amir Dawes (15 points), and Hunter Tyson (10 points).

Both teams desperately need this win.  Clemson – who are still, as of now, safely still in the playoff picture – cannot afford a loss as detrimental as this one if they hope to stay off the bubble.  The Blue Devils, meanwhile, need to get themselves back onto the bubble.  With not many opportunities left for resume-defining wins, a victory over Clemson would – easily – be their best win of the season thus far – and it could go a long way in providing confidence for the Blue Devils moving forward.

If they hope to pull it off, however, they will have to follow through with a few key things.