Duke's Nolan Smith Seeks to Continue Aggressive Play Style Against Clemson

Duke's Coach Mike Krzyzewski has been encouraging his star point guard, Nolan Smith, to be more aggressive in the team's offense, which has led to a breakthrough game against Virginia, where Smith scored 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting. This shift in strategy is part of a larger effort to get the starters playing more "instinctively," allowing them to create shots through screens and movement. Smith, a 6-2 sophomore, has been pleased with his play and sees this adjustment as a way to take on a more prominent role on the team.

Key Takeaways:

• Nolan Smith is averaging 10.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game, with a season-high 15 points against Virginia.
• Smith has scored in double figures just three times in his last 10 games, after scoring in double figures in nine of the first 10 games.
• Coach Mike Krzyzewski has been encouraging Smith to be more aggressive and attack on offense, which has led to improved play.
• The Duke team is working on becoming more "instinctive" in their offense, trusting their players to create shots on their own.
• Clemson has forced opponents into an average of 17.9 turnovers and 9.6 steals per game, making ball security crucial for Smith and the Duke team.
• Nolan Smith has reduced his turnovers, committing just six in his last six games after seven against Florida State.

Statistics:

• Nolan Smith is averaging 10.2 points per game.
• Smith has scored in double figures three times in his last 10 games.
• Duke has forced opponents into an average of 17.9 turnovers per game.
• Clemson is averaging 9.6 steals per game.
• Nolan Smith has reduced his turnovers from 7-10 to 6 or less in his last 6 games.

Sources:

• "Coach Mike Krzyzewski continues to tweak the offense to play to the strengths of Smith and the other starters," - [ESPN Ch. 33]
• "We've got to hit shots when we do break their presses, to be able to take them and hit them," - Coach Mike Krzyzewski [ESPN Ch. 33]
• "I had kind of fallen into trying to be a set-it-up point guard and just play off Kyle, Jon, and G," - Nolan Smith [ESPN Ch. 33]
• "We can be more instinctive," - Coach Mike Krzyzewski [ESPN Ch. 33]