Duke’s Secret Weapon? Deadly Free Throw Shooting

Duke basketball had plenty of standout storylines last season, both individually and collectively, so it’s understandable that a few superlatives slipped under the radar. But one in particular deserves extra attention—not only for what it says about the 2024–25 Blue Devils, but also for what it reveals about Jon Scheyer’s program.

The ’25 squad led the ACC in free throw shooting, hitting 79.0 percent from the line. That mark ranks second in Duke history—behind only the 1978 Final Four team—and seventh-best in ACC history.

The Blue Devils’ consistency at the stripe owed much to star freshmen Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel. Together, they attempted 341 free throws—nearly half the team’s total—and converted 86.8 percent. Knueppel was the ACC’s free throw leader at 91.4 percent, missing just 11 attempts all season. Combined, the duo played 74 games and misfired only 45 times from the line.

It’s fitting that Scheyer’s teams excel at free throw shooting, since he was one of Duke’s most reliable from the stripe during his playing career. From 2007–10, he shot 86.1 percent, ranking fourth in program history and ninth in ACC history. His 89.9 percent mark as a sophomore in 2008 (later tied by Tyus Jones) still stands as the fifth-best single season in Duke history. He hit 87.8 percent as a senior in 2010, the year Duke captured the national championship.

Under Scheyer’s leadership, that skill has translated into team identity. Over his first three seasons as head coach, Duke has shot 75.9 percent on free throws (1,575 of 2,074). That averages out to 691 makes per year, or 6.3 per game. Across 110 games in that span, more than a third of the team’s points (36.2 percent) have come at the line—more than from the three-point arc (32.3 percent), despite averaging nearly 23 threes per game. The numbers suggest Duke has been more efficient attacking the basket than relying on perimeter shooting, even if the outside game draws more fan attention.

That wasn’t quite Scheyer’s profile as a player. The 6-5 guard scored 42.9 percent of his points from threes (297-for-780, 38.1 percent) compared to 29.3 percent from free throws. Still, he was highly effective in both areas—much like his current teams.

Another way his squads echo his own playing style is in ball security. Scheyer’s career assist-to-turnover ratio was a solid 2.1:1, and his teams have steadily improved in that category each season. Duke ranked 10th in the ACC in 2023 at 1.22, climbed to 1.58 in 2024, and last year led the league with a 1.82 ratio—levels comparable to Tony Bennett’s most disciplined Virginia teams.

Exacting Efforts

Best Team FT Accuracy in Duke History (Single Season)