When last season began, 3-pointers were all the rage, due in part to the Boston Celtics’ success liberally employing the shot to capture the 2024 NBA title. But styles change. The value of the three remains apparent, but not as a predominant offensive weapon. Boston again converted the most threes among the pros in 2025, about two more per game than anyone else, but fizzled once its leader, former Duke star Jason Tatum, was lost to injury during the playoffs.
Louisville’s new coach, Pat Kelsey, likewise
accented attacking from long distance in the ACC in 2025. The Cardinals got 42.9 percent of their points via 3-pointer last year, second in the league only to Duke’s dominant Blue Devils (48.2 percent) as the UL program rebounded from three straight losing seasons.
This go-round the Cards again pace the conference in cashing in from the bonusphere, as the chart below illustrates. Duke, on the other hand, is achieving only about a third of its points on threes. In the loss to Texas Tech the Blue Devils hit a respectable 37 percent on threes, but only one of 11 in the second half after hitting a pair in the opening minute of the period.
The ACC teams embracing the three most avidly so far in 2025-26 are Florida State (40.35 percent of its points vs. 25.4 last year), under new coach Luke Loucks (an average of 22 made threes per season from 2009-12 for FSU), and Wake Forest, with Steve Forbes the same coach both seasons (36.3 vs. 24.7). NC State under first-year coach Will Wade (around +7 points per game), Cal (about +6), and BC (around +5) also are strongly reliant on the three.
Meanwhile, no team has turned away more assuredly from dialing from long distance than Duke. How much that’s intentional is unclear. Clearly this is an area where perimeter shooters Isaiah Evans, Caleb Foster, Dame Sarr, Nikolas Khamenia, and Darren Harris have room to gear up their games. Those five, as well as postman Cameron Boozer, have averaged a trio of 3-point tries.
Prior to the Texas Tech loss, the Devils were scoring more often from the foul line, to the tune of 19.8 percent of their points compared to 18.3 percent in ’25. But they sank themselves against the Red Raiders, missing a dozen from the line.
Another reversion is taking place at Clemson, which last year won more games than any team in school history (27) while gaining 38.64 percent of its points on threes. This year the Tigers remain tough, but are among the half of league teams realizing fewer than a third of their points via threes.
Perhaps surprisingly North Carolina has made fewer than a third of its points on threes either last year or this one.
Only four ACC teams are making at least 10 threes per game, all but one coached by a newcomer.
Virginia leads the conference in 3-point accuracy, though its scoring distribution under newcomer Ryan Odom hasn’t changed much from year to year. FSU has notably shifted its scoring focus to the perimeter, but is painfully inaccurate from long-range. Like UVa and Louisville, NC State is both prolific and accurate from long range, a more effective combination.
| ARC ANGLES (Listed By Points Derived Via 3-Ptr. Through Games Of Dec. 19, 2025) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Team | %PtsBy3 | 3M/Gm | 3% |
| UL | 41.49 | 12.6 | .360 |
| FSU | 40.35 | 11.3 | .312 |
| NS | 36.94 | 11.0 | .389 |
| V | 37.89 | 11.0 | .400 |
| WF | 36.33 | 9.42 | .345 |
| ND | 35.88 | 9.25 | .391 |
| UP | 34.69 | 8.50 | .358 |
| Ca | 33.99 | 9.36 | .380 |
| D | 33.58 | 9.82 | .352 |
| Sta | 32.37 | 8.82 | .351 |
| VT | 31.96 | 8.83 | .363 |
| BC | 31.78 | 7.45 | .279 |
| Cle | 30.99 | 8.33 | .3257 |
| NC | 30.41 | 8.18 | .327 |
| SU | 26.93 | 6.55 | .300 |
| GT | 26.63 | 6.55 | .3258 |
| UM | 25.24 | 7.42 | .366 |
| SMU | 22.77 | 6.73 | .330 |
