3 Ways Duke Can Beat Clemson in ACC Tournament Semifinals

The Duke Blue Devils are searching for their third ACC Tournament title in four seasons under head coach Jon Scheyer, and continue that quest in the Semifinals on Friday night against 5-seed Clemson. The Tigers defeated 4-seed North Carolina 80-79 on Thursday night to get here.

Duke was given quite a scare in its quarterfinals bout with 8-seed Florida State, as it was able to escape with an 80-79 victory, but not without a late surge offensively.

Mar 12, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer reacts to play during the first half against the Florida State Seminoles at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Across the first 30 minutes of game time, the Seminoles were in control. Duke put together one of its worst defensive showings all season, allowing Florida State to shoot 52% from the field and 11-of-28 (39%) from three-point range.

Florida State is a club that likes to win by running up the score tally and turning games into track meets, and the Blue Devils were unable to control the tempo for the majority of the way.

Mar 12, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) reacts with guard Isaiah Evans (3) in the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Noles were surging to close the regular season, and Clemson is dipping, so the Tigers could very well be an easier opponent. Let's take a look at three ways Duke can take down the Tigers to advance to the ACC Tournament Championship.

Mar 7, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Dame Sarr (7) drives to the basket as North Carolina Tar Heels guard Derek Dixon (3) defends during the second half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Duke Blue Devils won 76-61. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Win With Defense

This feels like an obvious key to success, but Duke and Clemson are the top two teams in the ACC in terms of average points allowed to their opponents, respectively. The Blue Devils closed the regular season on an eight-game win streak, winning those contests by an average margin of 23.1 points.

The 79 points Duke allowed to Florida State were the first time it surrendered 70 or more points to an opponent since Jan. 10 in an 82-75 victory over SMU.

Mar 12, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer reacts in the first half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Duke is the best defensive team in college basketball, but it's now clear that the injuries to Caleb Foster and Patrick Ngongba have completely changed how the Blue Devils can operate defensively.

Against a strong defensive unit in Clemson, winning that side of the floor will likely decide tonight's affair.

Jan 24, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Darren Harris (8) shoots a three-pointer during the second half against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Control the Paint

Duke is a capable three-point shooting team, but gets its work done in the paint. The Blue Devils rank fifth nationally in two-point field goal percentage (60.9) and 115th nationally in three-point percentage (35.1).

Clemson shot 9-of-19 (47%) from the perimeter against North Carolina, but that was an outlier. The Tigers rank 14th in the ACC in three-point percentage (34.3) and have three rotation players shooting 35% or better from three.

Mar 2, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer looks on during the first half against the NC State Wolfpack at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

UNC won the paint battle 32-24 last night, and Clemson was only able to escape with a one-point victory despite an outlier of a night from the perimeter. Dominating the paint will be pivotal for Duke.

Mar 7, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (7) drives to the basket as Duke Blue Devils forward Isaiah Evans (3) defends during the first half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Second Chance Points

Duke is one of the best rebounding clubs in college basketball, sitting 11th nationally in offensive rebounding percentage (37.8), according to KenPom. On the other hand, Clemson ranks 17th in the ACC in offensive rebounds per game (9.3) and 15th in total rebounds per game (34.5).

Against Florida State, Duke secured a ridiculous 22 offensive boards that turned into 24 second-chance points. On a night where the Blue Devils couldn't find a rhythm offensively, those second-chance opportunities became massive for success.