Take of the Week: Could this be the year that Duke men's basketball breaks its 3 point streak?

Every week, the Blue Zone will make a take on Duke sports—whether that take may be hot, cold or lukewarm. This week's take is in from Andrew Levy: 

During Duke’s home game against Syracuse last season, I stood in the front row as I watched the Blue Devils brick three pointer after three pointer. In the middle of the second half, I looked over the shoulder of the media member sitting in front of me to see how many threes Duke had made in the game. It had been a low scoring affair throughout, but to my disbelief the Blue Devils had not hit a three pointer at that point. 

The first three pointer made for Duke would not come until 7:35 left in the game, when surprisingly Trevon Duval was the one to snap the cold streak, one of the team’s two makes on 18 attempts.

Unbeknownst to many, Duke was in jeopardy of wrecking one of the longest streaks held in the nation. Duke currently sits at No. 3 in most consecutive games with at least one 3 pointer made, with 1,021 straight games with a make. However, this year could be the year that the streak could finally come to an end.

For starters, Duke’s schedule this year is primed with a couple of matchups that could force the Blue Devil into a shooting slump. For the third time since the ACC conference realignment, Duke is slated to play Syracuse twice this season. Last year against the Orangemen, the Blue Devils combined to shoot 7-for-44 from beyond the arc. Syracuse is currently ranked No. 16 in the AP Poll and is bringing back most of their players from last year’s Sweet Sixteen roster. Another pitfall for Duke this year could be against Virginia. The Blue Devils face the defensive-minded Cavaliers team twice this year, and shot a putrid 4-for-15 against the pack line defense from outside last year.

Although Duke’s roster should be flying up and down the court, their biggest weakness will be from the three point area. Of the four freshman in the starting lineup, only Cam Reddish is expected to be a real presence from beyond the arc. Either Marques Bolden or Javin Delaurier will be filling the fifth spot, and neither are known for their shooting abilities. Joey Baker, the only freshman not starting, is a capable shooter but will most likely struggle to find any playing time. Alex O’Connell and Jack White bring shooting ability off the bench, but may have a limited presence in games.

More likely than not, Duke will have a three point made in every game this year. They’ve done it for more than 30 seasons. However, if there was one season to predict that this streak could fall, it would be this year. A combination of a difficult schedule and lack of shooting ability could bring the streak to a close.