Most college basketball coaches, when preseason media availabilities come around, only want to talk about how great their roster is. The practice is entirely understandable, it projects confidence while keeping strategy close to the vest, but few coaches operate with the talent that Duke basketball coach [autotag]Jon Scheyer[/autotag] has in Durham.
During his Wednesday press conference, the third-year Blue Devils coach talked about how impressed he’s been with returning starter [autotag]Tyrese Proctor[/autotag]’s development, but he also broke down what he wants to see from the junior in 2024-25.
“He’s shown flashes of being as good of a perimeter defender as there is in the country,” Scheyer said. “My challenge for him is to do it every game all the time.”
If fans want evidence of that defensive ceiling Scheyer mentioned, look no further than North Carolina star RJ Davis. The All-American put up 21.2 points per game and shot 42.8% last season, but in two games against the Blue Devils, he made 34.6% of his shots and averaged 13.0 points.
The junior admitted himself that he wasn’t always a diligent defender before college, but he said the team’s defensive mindset relies upon the pride of not getting beaten on the other end.
“If you don’t let the other team score, it’s going to be hard for them to win a game,” Proctor said. “It’s a personal battle every game and just not wanting my man to score the ball.”
On the other side of the ball, Proctor led the Blue Devils with 3.7 assists per game last season, and despite this being his third season with the program, he won’t turn 21 until April 1. Scheyer praised how much Proctor has matured since 2022, but he thinks there’s an extra offensive gear locked inside the Australian.
“We’ve asked him to do so much for us when his scoring and shooting can take a back seat at times,” Scheyer said. “I want him to not pass up any shots, if he’s got open threes, to take them. His shooting is a big-time weapon.”
As a sophomore in 2023-24, Proctor shot 42.3% from the floor and 35.2% from 3-point range. His consistency wavered from game to game, including a four-game stretch in early February when he made just 30.8% of his shots from the floor and 20% from behind the arc, but he followed that with a six-game stretch of 50.9% from the floor and 40.5% from 3-point range to end the regular season.
Proctor closed the year averaging 10.5 points per game, one of five Blue Devils in double-digits, but with more mouths to feed than ever as a distributor, he could facilitate one of the best offenses in the country.
He’ll get to show Scheyer some of the things he asked for when his third season kicks off on November 4 against Maine.