Duke basketball has a chance to accomplish something for the first time in 25 years.
The second-ranked Blue Devils (20-2, 12-0 ACC) travel to Clemson (18-5, 10-2) on Saturday (6:30 p.m., ESPN) for a big-time ACC matchup at Littlejohn Coliseum.
Duke is 7-0 on the road for the first time since the 2018-19 season. If the Blue Devils beat the Tigers, it would be 8-0 in road games for the first time since the 1999-2000 season.
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Littlejohn Coliseum has seen Duke produce a 26-20 record against Clemson, but the Tigers have won two of their last three games against the Devils in South Carolina.
Here are some other things to know and a score prediction for Duke at Clemson.
Tyrese Proctor stats for Duke basketball vs Clemson
Duke junior guard Tyrese Proctor has been among the Blue Devils’ top scorers in the last two seasons against Clemson, averaging 17.5 points on 41.5% shooting in two games. Proctor had 17 points as a freshman in Duke’s 72-64 loss at Clemson, but followed up with 18 points – including four 3-pointers – in a 72-71 win last season at Cameron. Proctor was fouled in the final seconds and made the go-ahead free throws. Clemson coach Brad Brownell said he was “unbelievably disappointed with the ending” in that game, referencing the foul call. After averaging 16.5 points with six 3-pointers across the last two games, Proctor could carry that success to Clemson. He’s shooting a career-best 38.9% from 3-point range.
Clemson’s way to upset win vs Duke is Tigers’ experience
The Tigers have the ninth-most experienced roster in the nation, according to KenPom. Duke’s two losses came against Kansas and Kentucky, two teams among the top four in Division I experience. Clemson’s starting lineup features four seniors and a junior. In the Tigers’ 70-66 win against Kentucky earlier this season, four of their five starters – Jaeden Zackery, Ian Schieffelin, Chauncey Wiggins and Chase Hunter – finished in double figures. Clemson will need a similar effort to have a shot at upsetting the Blue Devils.
Cooper Flagg, Chauncey Wiggins is a matchup to watch in Duke vs Clemson
Duke’s Cooper Flagg, a 6-foot-9 forward, will likely be matched up with Clemson’s Chauncey Wiggins, a 6-foot-10 forward. Wiggins averaged 14 points over the last three games, but he’s finished with single-digit points in four of the Tigers’ five losses. That can’t happen against Flagg, who has scored 21 or more points in four of the last five games. It’s unfair to ask Wiggins to match Flagg, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, but Clemson’s versatile forward needs a solid game to give the Tigers a chance. Wiggins is the X-factor.
Duke vs Clemson score prediction
Duke 73, Clemson 67: The Tigers have the experience to push Duke like Kansas and Kentucky did in November, but the Blue Devils are a far different group in February. Leaning on its experiences to this point, Duke will leave Littlejohn Coliseum with its 17th straight win.
Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to rbaxley@fayobserver.com.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Duke basketball vs Clemson: Score prediction, scouting report
