3. In what has been a weakness for Duke, FTs were the difference-maker against Georgia Tech
Despite their woes on the season, there are not as many teams as efficient on the offensive end as the Blue Devils. They maintain the 15th-most efficient offense in all of Div. I – second best in the ACC – and rank in the top 100 nationally in 3P% and 2P%, which are both top-four in the conference.
Where Duke’s offense falls off substantially – and where it did against Georgia Tech, as well – is from the free-throw line, which has been a significant weakness for the Blue Devils all season. To put it into context: the Blue Devils see 32.9% (112th) of their offense come from three-pointers and 54.0% (73rd) from two-pointers. Meanwhile, just 13.0% of their point distribution comes from free-throws – which is fifth from last in all of college basketball, at 344th.
The Blue Devils take just 14.2 free-throws per game and make 9.9 of them, ranking 327th and 328th in the country, respectively. Their FT% is not that much better, at 69.3% – which ranks 223rd. To add fuel onto the fire: their lack of free-throw usage has cost them games, including against Georgia Tech.
Of Duke’s 10 losses, four of them have been decided by free-throws. Against Notre Dame, North Carolina, Louisville, and Pittsburgh – four of Duke’s last seven losses – the Blue Devils actually outscored all four foes from the floor. They lost all four games at the charity stripe, however, with those four teams going a combined 73-103. By contrast, Duke – in those four games – is just 29-43 on freebies.
And now, Georgia Tech can be added to that list. The Blue Devils outscored the Yellow Jackets from the floor, 67-64 – but fell short at the free-throw line, going 10-17 to GT’s mark of 17-23. That, ultimately, was the difference-maker – and continued an ongoing struggle for the Blue Devils.
Again, it does not get any easier for Duke moving forward. They will now have to take on a North Carolina team that is also fighting for an at-large bid on Saturday – on the road. The Blue Devils have already lost to UNC this season, back in a 91-87 loss on February 6th – and now, with both coming off extremely disappointing losses, tensions will undoubtedly be high as the ACC Tournament approaches.
If the Blue Devils hope to have any at-large hope left, they need to address these problems immediately – or their dream may ultimately come to its end against the Tar Heels.