If there’s one word Duke basketball fans have heard get thrown around all summer about the 2024-25 Blue Devils, it’s ‘competitive.’
Head coach [autotag]Jon Scheyer[/autotag] said he sought out top-ranked freshman [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] for how seriously he treats every practice, and the Blue Devils coach told his roster that no player would be guaranteed minutes on the court.
During a Tuesday episode of The Brotherhood Podcast, returning starters Caleb Foster and Tyrese Proctor fell back on that same word to describe their new teammates.
Foster, who averaged 7.7 points per game as a freshman last season, said this year’s Duke team is one of the most competitive rosters he’s ever been a part of. Proctor, who led the Blue Devils with 3.7 assists in 2023-24, agreed, and it didn’t sound like either player exempted themselves from the idea of earning a new role despite their status as the lone returning starters.
“My body’s been hurting after practices,” Proctor said with a smile. “Just every day, everyone’s fighting for their position and their minutes…I think it’s only making everyone better.”
With six top-40 freshmen, three high-level transfers, and two returning starters, Scheyer can pick whichever poison he prefers as he constructs his 2024-25 rotation, and it seems like every member of the team has bought in on his vision.