Duke Basketball: 3 keys to finally getting revenge against North Carolina

2. Knock down open 3-pointers

Statistically, this is the second-worst 3-point shooting Duke team of the last 25 years. The worst had a guy named Zion Williamson, so that helped make up for the lack of shooting.

The Blue Devils are shooting just 32.5% from beyond the arc, ranking a lackluster No. 253 in the nation. But there’s a clear pattern – when Duke shoots above 33% from deep, they boast a 13-1 record. When they sink below that mark, they’re just 3-5.

Over their last four games, Duke has found their stroke, shooting 39% from 3-point range. Led by Jeremy Roach, Tyrese Proctor, Jacob Grandison and Kyle Filipowski, the Blue Devils have pieced together a strong stretch from the perimeter. But the question remains – can they maintain this level of shooting?

The answer might lie with Roach, who shined with a 21-point performance in Duke’s recent win over Wake Forest. The junior guard was expected to be an All-ACC player this season and has shown flashes of that potential. After battling an injury throughout January, Roach appears to be back at full strength.

In the win over Wake Forest, head coach Jon Scheyer utilized Roach as more of a shooting guard, allowing him to play off-ball while Proctor ran the point. The strategy worked well against Wake, so keep an eye out to see if Scheyer goes back to that approach against Carolina.