Duke begins ACC tournament against Clemson (Mar 08, 2017)
NEW YORK -- Duke's quest for its first ACC tournament championship since 2011 begins Wednesday in a second-round matchup with Clemson.
For the No. 14 Blue Devils (23-8) to do so, they will have to win four games in four days -- something no team has accomplished in the conference tournament.
Clemson (17-14) advanced with a 75-61 win over North Carolina State in the first round on Tuesday at the Barclays Center. It was a rare double-digit victory this season for the Tigers, who have lost 10 games by six points or less.
"It's not easy to come back to practice every week when you're losing one-point games, two-point games, one-point games in a variety of ways," remarked Clemson coach Brad Brownell. "Some of the reason for that is the character of the guys I coach. I have great guys on my team. They represent us phenomenally both on and off the court. They just won't give in.
"So, yes, it's nice to win a game like this. But I've been extremely proud of this team on nights when we lost. When you coach in this league, you can play extremely well and lose because the teams are so good."
Clemson, the 12th seed, dominated the Wolfpack in the lane, scoring 40 points in the paint. The Tigers reeled off 21 points off 15 North Carolina State turnovers, holding star freshman guard Dennis Smith Jr. to 3-of-12 shooting and seven points in 36 minutes.
The Tigers need a win over a quality opponent like Duke to improve their chances of landing NCAA Tournament bid.
Duke, seeded fifth, has lost three of its last four games, but the Blue Devils haven't lost their first game in the ACC tournament in any of the past three seasons.
The Tigers have won three straight, after losing six of seven, including a 64-62 decision to Duke on Feb. 11. Jaron Blossomgame and Shelton Mitchell carried the Tigers against North Carolina State, shooting a combined 17 for 30 while the rest of the team was 12 for 38.
Clemson received 10 points from Elijah Thomas in 16 minutes off the bench. The Tigers' role players will be critical for Clemson to score the upset.
Duke's depth will also come into play if it intends to run the table to the title. Mercurial guard Grayson Allen has been coming off the bench lately due to a left ankle injury, with freshman Frank Jackson taking over the starting job. If that rotation remains, Allen would be a force off the bench this week.
Sophomore guard Luke Kennard has emerged as the ACC's leading scorer, averaging 20.1 points per game. The All-ACC first team member has made at least one 3-pointer in an ACC-best 34 straight games, tying for the 15th longest streak in league history.
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski hopes that a deep run in the tournament will give his Blue Devils some momentum heading into the NCAA Tournament.
"We are getting better," Krzyzewski said. "We've got to keep going. We'll try to do a great job up in Brooklyn and then be ready for the big tournament the week after."
