Barry Jacobs

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - NOVEMBER 14: Tyrese Proctor #5 of the Duke Blue Devils passes the ball off during the game against the Michigan State Spartans in the Champions Classic at the United Center on November 14, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. | Photo by Michael Hickey/ Duke has some issues right now, but efficient passing is not one of them. We know it’s too early to reach conclusions, the games not yet totaling double figures for each ACC team. Still, if looked at with an open mind, stats nevertheless tell much about a player or team, revealing trends, strengths and...

These legends are on the list, but look who’s closing in on ninth place. | Photo by Patrick McDermott/ And half the list coached in the ACC When we saw that five former ACC head coaches ranked among the top 10 all-time in career Division I victories, we were both impressed and surprised to see one name among the Hall of Famers. This immediately suggested posting a quiz instead of a chart, or a chart that can also serve as a quiz. So here we are. Among the coaches in the top 10 in career wins (Division I and Division II included by NCAA reckoning), one remains...

 INDIANAPOLIS, IN - NOVEMBER 06: Duke Blue Devils forward Zion Williamson (1) scores inside against Kentucky Wildcats forward Nick Richards (4) during the State Farm Champions Classic basketball game between the Duke Blue Devils and Kentucky Wildcats on November 6, 2018, at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN. | Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Look at the last time the Blue Devils played Georgia! They were once siblings, the cores of their respective memberships arising from the same Southern Conference. The first Southern split came in 1932 with...

CHAPEL HILL, NC - JANUARY 08: BeeJay Anya #21 of the North Carolina State Wolfpack drives against Kennedy Meeks #3 of the North Carolina Tar Heels during the game at the Dean Smith Center on January 8, 2017 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. | Photo by Grant Halverson/ At 285, Zion Williamson was a load in the ACC, but he ranks sixth on this list of heavyweight players Dwight Keith “DJ” Burns Jr. has been, based on published preseason rosters, the heaviest player in the ACC the last two seasons. The 6-9 transfer from Winthrop, where he was 2022 Big South Player of the...

 Jan 4, 2023; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils center Kyle Filipowski (30) shoots a free throw during the second half against North Carolina State Wolfpack at PNC Arena. | Jaylynn Nash-USA TODAY Sports Making more free throws than your opponent attempts is a great advantage The equation, though seemingly simple, is actually uncommon, bordering on rare. Make more free throws than your opponents attempt, and a team is apt to enjoy a pronounced advantage on the scoreboard. That’s true in a game and across a season and appears to be a likely mark of team...

CORAL GABLES, FL - MARCH 04: Miami (Fl) Hurricanes head coach Jim Larranaga watches the second net being cut down after Miami finishes first in the ACC following the game between the Pittsburg Panthers and the Miami Hurricanes on Saturday, March 4, 2023 at Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Fla. | Photo by Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Things have changed, post-Roy, post Boeheim and post-K They reached basketball’s promised land, the Final Four. A few of them, anyway. Eighteen in 69 seasons of the ACC’s existence. Better than once every four years....

DURHAM, NC - DECEMBER 10: Dariq Whitehead #0 of the Duke Blue Devils puts up a three-point shot against Ahamadou Fofana #0 of the Maryland-Eastern Shore Hawks at Cameron Indoor Stadium on December 10, 2022 in Durham, North Carolina. Duke won 82-55. | Photo by Lance King/ Some players end up shooting better from behind the line than they do closer to the basket A discrete cadre of ACC players annually hit 3-pointers at a better clip than field goals overall. Many of these shooters, year in and year out, happen to be freshmen. They also are, for the most part, reserves...

Nov 6, 2023; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Jeremy Roach (3) drives to the basket between Dartmouth Big Green forward Nikola Dimitrijevic (15) and forward Dusan Neskovic (3) during the second half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. | Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports A characteristic that has carried over from the Krzyzewski era One aspect of Duke’s play last season that largely eluded notice was its ability to convert passes into baskets. In Jon Scheyer’s first season running the Duke program, only Virginia and Virginia Tech (the Hokies marginally) were...