Duke basketball retains biggest recruit as initial offseason transaction
The Duke basketball offseason is officially underway with a massive morning announcement.
It took a week for the emotions of the Duke basketball ending to diminish and the offseason is officially underway in Durham.
Monday morning provided perhaps the biggest news of the offseason for Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils after freshman guard Tyrese Proctor announced he will return for his sophomore season.
Proctor, 18, would have been one of the youngest players in this year’s NBA Draft and flashed his professional skillset as a freshman but his adjustment to the speed of the college game took longer than expected.
The point guard made the announcement on social media.
Unfinished Business. Let’s run it back 5 😈 pic.twitter.com/ldNkNDVUhC
— Tyrese Proctor (@TyreseProctor) March 27, 2023
Tyrese Proctor did not get to Durham until the fall this season, unlike the rest of his teammates, due to his participation in the FIBA World Cup with the Australian Men’s National Team and was immediately trying to catch up with the chemistry the rest of the Blue Devils created.
“Having a full offseason on campus will be extremely valuable for my continued development, and I am looking forward to leading our talented incoming class,” Proctor told ESPN.
The Blue Devils enter the No. 2 recruiting class in the country, according to 247Sports, with five incoming 5-star freshman prospects.
“This is the best decision for my career, both present and future…we have unfinished business,” Proctor continued.
Duke basketball guard looking for major sophomore explosion
Duke’s season turned around for the better once the move was made to have Tyrese Proctor run the offense with the ball in his hands and chatter around his future heightened after his 16-point, two rebound, and six assist showing against Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament.
Proctor showcased the abilities of an NBA point guard in the loss and many thought he would jump to the next level after dazzling the scouts in attendance.
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The Australian native averaged 9.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game while shooting 38.1-percent from the floor and 32.0-percent from 3-point range last season.
This is the first decision to come from a Duke player this offseason as the program still awaits announcements from others like Jeremy Roach, Kyle Filipowski, and Mark Mitchell.