Duke basketball: Tyrese Proctor welcomes back Mark Mitchell

Duke basketball guard Tyrese Proctor had a welcome back message for Mark Mitchell. 

At least two freshmen from the Duke basketball team will be returning next season and a social media exchange got Blue Devil fans more excited about next November.

Tyrese Proctor announced he would be coming back to Durham for his sophomore season early last week which was followed by Mark Mitchell announcing his return to the 5-time National Champions as well.

The return of the duo solidifies Duke’s defense as the two were arguably the best defenders on the team last season and Proctor gives the program another veteran point guard who can take over the game with his offensive skillset.

Mitchell, should he left after his rookie season, would have seen his Duke career end on a sour note after he was unable to play in the Round of 32 against Tennessee because he injured his knee in practice the day before the highly anticipated game.

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The Blue Devils missed the defensive presence and versatility of the freshman forward as the Volunteers, an offensively challenged team, caught fire against Duke.

Anyway, Tyrese Proctor and Mark Mitchell both showed excitement on social media following their announcements of playing with each other for at least one more season.

Duke center Ryan Young, who will also be back with the Blue Devils next season after transferring from Northwestern, chimed in on the Twitter dialogue after Proctor cropped him out of his photo.

Young’s name tag can clearly be seen in the lower left corner as he joined Proctor and Mitchell on the press conference podium at the NCAA Tournament.

Duke basketball still awaiting more decisions

Tyrese Proctor and Mark Mitchell are the only two freshmen on the Duke basketball roster who have announced they will be returning to the Blue Devils for their sophomore seasons while Dariq Whitehead announced his intentions to declare for the 2023 NBA Draft.

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Kyle Filipowski and Dereck Lively II have yet to announce their decisions but it’s growing increasingly likely that Filipowski will return to Duke for his sophomore year while Lively will enter the NBA Draft.

Jeremy Roach also has yet to announce his plans, but indications are that he will also turn to the professional ranks.