Duke point guard Tyrese Proctor, who is expected to be a lottery pick in the 2024 NBA draft, has decided to return to the Blue Devils for his sophomore year. Proctor, who is ranked 30th on ESPN's 2023 NBA draft projections, believes that staying at Duke will help him build his draft potential and put him in a position to climb into the lottery.
Proctor's dynamic shot-making ability, creativity as a playmaker, and strong defensive competitiveness make him a top contender for the ACC Player of the Year award and one of the top point guards in college basketball. He arrived at Duke from the NBA Global Academy in Australia a year early after Trevor Keels decided to remain in the 2022 NBA draft.
Proctor and Duke had a slow start to the season, but they played their best basketball in March, with Proctor leading the team to the ACC tournament championship. Proctor's late-season surge helped Duke win 10 straight games before losing to Tennessee in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Proctor will forgo the opportunity to compete for a spot on the Australian senior national team as part of the FIBA World Cup in September and instead spend most of the offseason building chemistry with his new teammates on campus. He is looking forward to having a complete offseason to work with the coaching staff at Duke and pave the way for them to hang another banner in Cameron.
Proctor will be leading a Duke program that has the No. 2-rated recruiting class, which includes five prospects ranked among the top 31 players in 2023. He believes that having a full offseason on campus will be extremely valuable for his continued development and is looking forward to leading their talented incoming class.
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