Duke basketball is used to going to the NCAA Tournament, and this season is no different. Even with legendary head coach Mike Krzyzewski in retirement, Duke is still one of the best basketball programs in the country with Jon Scheyer at the helm. Scheyer has the Blue Devils going to March Madness with a 24-8 record, and there's a path for Duke basketball to go to yet another Final Four. In order for that to happen, a dream scenario for the Blue Devils has to fall into place.
DUKE THREE-POINT SHOOTING
Duke is one of the best three-point shooting teams in the country, and that's the key for a deep run. Duke is currently 15th nationally in three-point shooting percentage, per NCAA stats. The Blue Devils knock down a little more than 37 percent of their threes, and only five other power 5 conference teams shoot the ball better than Duke from that standpoint. Those schools are: Kentucky, Purdue, Colorado, Baylor, and Northwestern. The Blue Devils are the best in the ACC from three.
Duke basketball isn't relying on just one guy to get those shots up. The team has several players that can shoot from outside. Three Blue Devils' guards are making 40 percent of their three point shots. They are Jeremy Roach, Caleb Foster and Jared McCain. That's a lot of weapons. It's also a nightmare for teams that don't have the horses to guard Duke from the perimeter.
For Duke to have a deep run in the tournament, they will want to be matched up against teams that don't defend the three very well. There are several teams going to the NCAA tournament that fit into that category. For example, Kansas. Kansas is below 150th nationally in opponent three-point field goal percentage. The Jayhawks allow their opponents to swish more than 33 percent of their perimeter shots, 156th in the country. It was a reason why the Jayhawks struggled this year in the Big 12, losing 8 conference games for the first time since the 1988-89 campaign.
There are other teams headed to March Madness, that struggle even more in that category. Arizona for instance allows just a little bit more from three than Kansas. The Wildcats are 173rd in the country in three-point field goal percentage defense. The list goes on and on. Rick Pitino's St. John's Red Storm are even worse. The Red Storm are 276th in the country, giving up 35 percent to opponents from three.
This holds the key for Duke basketball. If the Blue Devils can get matchups that favor their three-point shooters, the Blue Devils are going to make another run to a Final Four. The team simply has too much shooting talent in the backcourt, especially Jeremy Roach. The Blue Devils point guard is leading the squad in perimeter shooting, making 44 percent of his threes. He's also averaging 14 points a game for the Blue Devils.
Time will tell how the chips fall. Duke head coach Jon Scheyer is in his second season captaining the ship. The team bowed out in the NCAA Round of 32 last season, and Scheyer is looking for his first trip to the second or even third weekend of the tournament. Duke's first round destination and matchup will be revealed on Selection Sunday.
The future continues to look bright for the program, as next season Duke basketball brings in the best recruiting class in the country, with Cooper Flagg. The sun seems to almost always shine in Durham, North Carolina.
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