Duke basketball: Tyrese Proctor details turnaround, expectations for year

Duke basketball point guard detailed what changed for him last season. 

One of the biggest candidates to have a breakout season and skyrocket up NBA Draft boards next spring is Duke basketball point guard Tyrese Proctor and he already is looking the part of a professional player.

The Australian product reclassified a year early to join the Blue Devils and shortly earned a starting role as he was one of the main reasons that Jon Scheyer’s team was able to rattle off a 10-game winning streak late in the season to capture an ACC Tournament Championship.

Proctor joined The Brotherhood podcast last week to detail what went into his personal turnaround and why that is only going to benefit him, and the team, entering his second season in Durham.

“I wasn’t playing a lot of defense,” Proctor jokingly recalled. “And then I decided to start playing defense.”

“I think it was a bit of experience and just taking a little bit of pride in it as well…if we are going to win games I’m going to have to guard people.”

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The former 5-star recruit averaged 9.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game during his rookie campaign but things really started to turn not only when he committed to the defensive end of the floor, but when he was moved to the primary point guard position.

“I’m a point guard,” Proctor told host Ryan Young. “Getting Jeremy [Roach] more looks off the ball was better for us as well.”

“When [Roach] was the point [guard] he was so worried about getting other people involved as well as getting his [points], like he was overthinking a bit.”

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Jeremy Roach saw career numbers in nearly every statistical category last season with 13.6 points and 2.5 rebounds per game on 34.3-percent shooting from 3-point range.

“When I was at the point he could just focus on getting his buckets, and still facilitating…I think it took a bit of pressure off him and I was in my natural game,” Proctor added.

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Tyrese Proctor, who made his decision to return to Duke very early in the offseason, said that NBA teams gave him good feedback but knowing how young he is, and that he reclassified, he knew he could take the advice from the scouts and become a lottery selection in next June’s draft.

Proctor was very complimentary of the freshmen that have joined the program this summer and mentioned how the offense will flow much better given the personnel and different skillsets that Jon Scheyer has brought to the Blue Devils this offseason.

Duke is expected to contend for another ACC and NCAA Championship this season.