The worst shooting Duke basketball team in 63 years?
Following four straight shooting performances falling short of the 40-percent mark, the 2022-23 Duke basketball team is shooting 43.1 percent from the field this season. If the season ended today, that would be the program's lowest field goal percentage since Vic Bubas' first team shot 41.6 percent in 1959-60.
Outside of the 84-60 loss at NC State on Jan. 4, when the Blue Devils (13-5, 4-3 ACC) fell flat because of their 21 turnovers to only six by the Wolfpack, Duke's primary downfall in its losses this season has been 3-point shooting and, well, shooting in general — except at the charity stripe.
Between its five losses, including a 3-for-20 clip in Saturday's 72-64 defeat at Clemson, the team shot 21-for-101 beyond the arc. That's 20.8 percent on 20.0 attempts per game from downtown, the farthest thing from a recipe for success.
Overall, the 2022-23 Blue Devils' 31.0 shooting percentage from three is still slightly higher than the lowest in program history: 30.8 percent in 2018-19.
But consider that six away games remain on the Duke basketball schedule. In opponents' gyms, where the Blue Devils have piled up their past three losses and sit 1-3 overall, the team has shot 27.8 percent from 3-point land.
Away from home, particularly in actual road games, the Duke scorers routinely come up empty down the stretch. Conversely, in Cameron Indoor Stadium, where they boast a 9-0 record, they tend to knock down timely buckets.
So what's the solution to having no players in the rotation with a shooting stroke that has proven easy to trust, especially in front of an opposing crowd?
Maybe attempting fewer 3-pointers is the best answer.
Or, as many fans have recommended on social media, first-year head coach Jon Scheyer could try giving playing time to first-year guard Jaden Schutt, a former four-star prep and heralded sharpshooter whose last name is pronounced as "shoot." He's 5-for-10 from three in 52 minutes this season (only 10 minutes in the past five weeks).
Perhaps Duke should go the route of focusing on finding ways to draw more fouls. Oddly enough, these Blue Devils are flirting with the program record for free throw percentage, shooting 78.3 percent from the foul line, trailing only the 79.1 percent in 1977-78 and 78.5 percent in 1972-73.
Scheyer and his staff have a whole week to figure something out in practice before the next game. Fortunately for the Blue Devils, that game is at home: versus Miami at noon ET Saturday.
RELATED: Predicted scores of every 2022-23 Duke game
Then Duke plays at Virginia Tech on Jan. 23 and at Georgia Tech five days later.
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