As basketball season approaches, the Blue Zone provides a detailed preview of each player on Duke men's basketball's 2024-25 roster. We’ve already looked at Cameron Sheffield, Patrick Ngongba II, Darren Harris, Isaiah Evans, Mason Gillis, Maliq Brown, Sion James, Caleb Foster and Khaman Maluach. Next up is junior guard Tyrese Proctor:
Tyrese Proctor
Year: Junior
Height: 6-foot-6
Position: Guard
Last year’s stat line: 10.5 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 3.7 APG
Game breakdown: The only player remaining from head coach Jon Scheyer’s first recruiting class, and the longest-tenured Blue Devil on the roster, Tyrese Proctor will undoubtedly be one of Duke’s most important players this season. Proctor’s talent is unquestionable; the 6-foot-6 guard boasts an incredible combination of size, speed and skill which have caught the eye of NBA scouts even before his college career. The Sydney, Australia, native’s best attributes are his elite ball-handling, superb playmaking and stifling defense, all of which make him the ideal point guard for this year’s squad. His effortlessly exceptional dribbling is always a sight to behold and the talk of Blue Devil fans, but his less flashy traits, particularly on the defensive side, are perhaps just as important for his game.
Before the start of last season, Proctor was projected as a high NBA draft pick, and few projected him to return to Durham for his junior year. However, injuries and inconsistencies saw his draft stock drop as the season progressed, so the Australian opted to continue his development at Duke, postponing his inevitable departure to the professional game. In particular, Proctor will hope to refine his shooting and scoring after struggling at times in some of the Blue Devils’ biggest games, such as in the Elite Eight against N.C. State, where he failed to score any points. If Proctor improves this aspect of his game, he will undoubtedly be one of the best guards in the ACC, if not the entire country.
Role on the team: Proctor will be one of the first names on the team sheet and should start every game in which he is healthy. However, the Australian excels more as a facilitator and elite defender than as a pure scorer. So while the junior could feasibly be the centerpiece of Scheyer’s offense, the third-year head coach will more likely opt to use the veteran guard in more of a supporting offensive role. Duke has added a plethora of talented scorers, particularly through its freshman class and the additions of Cooper Flagg, Isaiah Evans and Kon Knueppel. What’s more, with sophomore guard Caleb Foster teaming up with Proctor in the backcourt, the Blue Devils have plenty of weapons in their offensive arsenal.
Don’t be surprised if Proctor’s scoring numbers don’t jump off the charts this year. The junior’s improvement should come in the form of improved efficiency, not necessarily a higher volume. Proctor may not make headlines for putting up gaudy numbers, but his impact on other aspects of the game will be key for Duke to realize its potential on its quest for a sixth national title.
NBA comparison: Recently traded from the Atlanta Hawks, New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray has blossomed into an All-Star and one of the most consistent scorers in the NBA, to the tune of averaging 22.5 points per game last season. However, his early career with the San Antonio Spurs compares very well with Proctor’s time at Duke. In his first few NBA seasons, the 6-foot-5 guard wasn’t necessarily the best or most efficient shot-maker, but his athleticism, playmaking and hounding defense earned him considerable plaudits. Murray earned an NBA All-Defensive Second Team selection in just his second year in the league, demonstrating an elite defensive ability which Proctor has also shown at the college level.
Both players boast similar size, athleticism and raw talent, so it will be interesting to see whether Proctor develops into a more consistent scorer, just like Murray did over the course of his first few NBA seasons. While the Blue Devil guard’s points-per-game average likely won’t jump up to Murray’s level in the course of one season, a significant stride in the shot-making department would do wonders both for Proctor’s future and Duke’s chances of success in 2024-25.
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Rodrigo Amare is a Trinity sophomore and assistant Blue Zone editor of The Chronicle's 120th volume.