As Duke men’s basketball prepares for a road tilt against Clemson, The Blue Zone previews the Tigers with an overview, key stat, X-factor and three keys for Duke:

Overview 

2023-24 record: 24-12, 11-9 in the ACC

2024-25 record: 18-5, 10-2 in the ACC

Head coach: Brad Brownell

History: Duke leads 84-29

Last meeting: 72-71, Duke, Jan. 27, 2024

Duke travels back South to face Clemson in a top-three ACC matchup. The Tigers, following last year’s run to the Elite Eight, are on the verge of entering the AP Top 25, but with a recent loss to Georgia Tech in triple-overtime, they will try to recover their chances by upsetting No. 2 Duke. The road trip continues for the Blue Devils, who return from their 16th-straight win at Syracuse. Historically a difficult place to play for the Blue Devils, with a 29-22 away record, Duke looks to avoid a tight game in Littlejohn Coliseum and build from a narrow one-point victory in Cameron Indoor Stadium last season.

Three-point shooting will be key in this matchup, as both Clemson and Duke have three above-average 3-point shooters in their starting lineup. Now, this graph omits Duke’s bench weapons, freshman Isaiah Evans and graduate forward Mason Gillis, but it provides a key insight into Clemson’s success this year. The Tigers are having a hot offensive season under Brownell, holding the 18th-best 3-point percentage in the country and the second-best in the ACC. Chase Hunter has drained an impressive 60 treys through Clemson’s 23 games, and Brownell has fully embraced 3-point shooting as the Tigers’ offensive scheme.

But the Tigers have not faced the Blue Devil defense, which has held nine of its opponents to season-lows. Duke thrives in the switches, especially with Maliq Brown returning to the lineup, and has held opponents to an average of 31.3% from the arc. And once again outside of the graph, if a Duke starter has an off-game, head coach Jon Scheyer has weapons in his arsenal to either spark more 3-pointers or suppress opponent shooting.  -Negus

X-Factor

Duke: Khaman Maluach

Going up against a very skilled rebounding team and one of the best players in the conference in forward Ian Schieffelin, Maluach is primed for a monster game against the Tigers. His strength and presence in the paint will be crucial against a very tall Clemson team that does not turn the ball over often. While the Tigers are an elite outside shooting team, if the defensive ability of the 7-foot-2 freshman can take away any inside offense, it will force Clemson to make its shots from deep. 

Clemson: Chauncey Wiggins

One of the best 3-point shooters on Clemson's team, Wiggins is also coming off season-high marks in rebounds, blocks and steals. The Grayson, Ga., native is a multitool for the Tigers, but will need some of his best shooting to defeat Duke. He has improved drastically throughout his time in college, going from an average of 2.4 to 9.6 points per game during his three years at Clemson. At 6-foot-10, Wiggins can match up with the length of Duke’s frontcourt, something the Blue Devils have not always faced during conference play. But despite his height, the forward has been lackluster on the rebounding front, and averages just three per game. A breakout performance in this metric would be very beneficial for the Tigers. -Ryan Hamner

3 keys

Hunter off the 3-point line: While Clemson is not necessarily a 3-point-happy team — their 23.9 3-point attempts per game ranks 126th in the nation — the Tigers capitalize on the shots they do take. Leading their long-range attack is senior guard Hunter, who is in the midst of a breakout season during his sixth year of college basketball. Thus far, the Atlanta native has been among the NCAA’s most efficient high-volume shooters — recording a scalding 43.8% rate from deep on 6.0 attempts per game. As his scoring numbers and 2.4 assists per game confirm, Hunter is certainly a score-first guard, and Clemson as a team doesn’t rack up assists at a prolific rate.

So, for the Blue Devils, defending the Tigers’ star should be relatively straightforward: Don’t let Hunter be the one to hurt them beyond the arc. Instead, force him to surrender the ball to his teammates or drive into the paint, where Maluach and any of Duke’s bigger defenders lurk. Inevitably, the Westlake High School product will hold his own, yet the Blue Devils can make it as hard as possible by taking away one of his biggest strengths.

Punish smaller defenders: As usual, Duke — perhaps the biggest team in the country — will have a significant size advantage when it makes its trip to South Carolina. Among Clemson’s top eight rotation players in minutes played, three stand above 6-foot-6, whereas only guards Tyrese Proctor and Caleb Foster, who are both 6-foot-5, do not meet or exceed that mark for the Blue Devils. 

With Proctor, Sion James and Cooper Flagg bringing the ball up the floor, Duke will have plenty of opportunities to create mismatches through ball screens and various actions. While the Tigers will not switch every time, a few Flagg post-ups can set the tone on offense early. Additionally, the Blue Devils will have a natural advantage at rebounding on both ends of the floor, an area Clemson has struggled with. In a matchup between two elite teams, second-chance points could end up being the difference.

Ignore the rankings: Ever since relinquishing their No. 25 ranking in Week 8, the Tigers have not returned to the AP Poll. That being said, Clemson is a dangerous, well-coached squad, capturing six straight games before losing to Georgia Tech in a triple-overtime thriller. Especially in a weaker-than-usual ACC, Brownell’s team stands out as a team with real aspirations come March. 

It’s no exaggeration to consider this contest Duke’s toughest ACC test yet — ignoring the added pressures that come with rivalry games. Since defeating Auburn in early December, the Blue Devils have faced a relatively weak slate of competition, and won’t play their next ranked opponent until No. 23 Illinois Feb. 22. Given the Tigers’ record and recent play, this matchup doesn’t quite meet the parameters to be considered a “trap game,” but Scheyer’s squad must still be prepared for one of their best adversaries to date. -Alex Min