National college basketball writer Andy Katz continued his 2024-25 preseason ranking series on Wednesday, and he continues to express admiration for the Duke roster.
Tyrese Proctor finished seventh on Katz’s list of the 10 best juniors in the country, the fourth Blue Devil to make his year-by-year rankings.
Proctor is the only player left on the roster who started for Duke in 2022-23, and he’s played 68 games for the Blue Devils over the past two seasons. He averaged 10.5 points and led the Duke roster with 3.7 assists per game last season, and he put together a career-high 24 points against Louisville in January.
USA TODAY 10Best: Is Duke the best college for sports fans? Vote now!
The Australian struggled with some inconsistency in 2023-24, shooting 30.8% from the floor and 20.0% from behind the arc during a four-game span in early February, but he’s the best passer on the roster and his 6-foot-6 frame makes him an exceptional perimeter presence on defense. He’s a big reason why North Carolina All-American RJ Davis shot 34.6% against the Blue Devils last year.
https://twitter.com/MarchMadnessMBB/status/1839038456762347718
[autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] took the top spot on Katz’s freshman rankings with South Sudanese 7-footer Khaman Maluach also making the top 10 list. Katz also listed Caleb Foster as one of the nation’s best sophomores and best defensive players.