Tag: Tyrese Proctor

Duke basketball players emphasize once again how competitive the 2024-25 roster is

Duke basketball stars Caleb Foster and Tyrese Proctor emphasized how competitive this year’s team is on The Brotherhood Podcast this week.

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.

Returning Duke basketball starter Tyrese Proctor named one of the country’s best juniors

Tyrese Proctor, the only Blue Devils starter from 2022-23 still on the roster, made a list of the 10 best juniors in the country on Wednesday.

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.

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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.

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[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.

College basketball reporter Jon Rothstein predicts Duke starting lineup after watching practice

CBS Sports reporter Jon Rothstein watched a Duke basketball practice on Tuesday and offered his insight on who the starting five might be.

CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein, one of the most ubiquitous names in college basketball coverage, made his early prediction for the Blue Devils’ starting five after watching a Duke basketball practice on Tuesday.

Of course, top-ranked freshman [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] made Rothstein’s projected lineup, as did returning starter Tyrese Proctor. He also predicted that Purdue transfer Mason Gillis and two five-star freshmen, Khaman Maluach and Kon Knueppel, would end up in the first five.

Flagg enters the season as the presumptive favorite for the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft, and after he made waves at Team USA Olympic training camp as a member of the Select Team, he’ll be one of the most anticipated freshmen in years.

Proctor led the team with 3.7 assists last season, and he started 25 of the 32 games he played in 2023-24. As the only player within the rotation who has been with the Blue Devils for each of the past two seasons, he also makes total sense as a potential starter.

The last of the three obvious answers, Maluach was always intended to be a member of the starting lineup by conference play. The 18-year-old 7-footer could need some time to develop, so maybe he comes off the bench for a few early games, but considering that he already represented South Sudan at the Olympic Games, it’s more likely that he just slides in at the five from the start.

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The other two names are interesting, however.

Gillis made more than 46% of his 3-pointers with the Boilermakers last season, and the fifth-year senior provides a reliable perimeter shooting option. Returning sophomore Caleb Foster made more than 40% of his triples in 2023-24, so he could also be a candidate for the No. 2 spot, but head coach Jon Scheyer likely targeted Gillis with the intention of him starting or serving as a high-volume sixth man.

Knueppel, another five-star member of the 2024 recruiting class, has come on strong with his teammates and the fanbase over the summer. He looked great in offseason scrimmage content, and his teammates keep nominating him as the most impressive player on the roster.

Duke’s wing room is just incredibly crowded. Tulane transfer Sion James, a 6-foot-6 guard who averaged 14.0 points and 1.6 steals with the Green Wave last season, could be a big feature. Foster, who started games last year, could always slide into the backcourt if Scheyer wants more ball-handling. Fellow five-star freshman Isaiah Evans, who seems forgotten among the Knueppel hype, was named the best Charlotte high school basketball player from the last 40 years.

The Cameron Crazies can see whether Rothstein got it right during the season opener against Maine on November 4.

Duke’s Tyrese Proctor named as one of the best guards in the country

College basketball writer Andy Katz released his list of the country’s best guards on Friday, including Duke star Tyrese Proctor.

The hype around the 2024-25 Duke men’s basketball roster continued to grow on Friday.

College basketball writer Andy Katz released his ranking of the best guards in the country, and returning Blue Devils starter [autotag]Tyrese Proctor[/autotag] barely missed out on the top dozen at 13th.

Proctor, now entering his junior season, is one of two returning starters on the roster. The Australian came to Durham with lottery potential, but some offensive inconsistency held him back from the ceiling people saw within him.

He still ended his sophomore season with a career-high 10.5 points per game, however, and he led the Blue Devils with 3.7 assists. He scored at least 15 points in six different games last year, including a season-high 24 against Louisville and an 18-point game against James Madison in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Proctor finished the 2023-24 season shooting 42.3% from the floor and 35.2% from 3-point range, both improvements from his freshman campaign. With former team captain Jeremy Roach now at Baylor, Proctor will likely serve as Duke’s primary ballhandler for this coming season and could lead the ACC in assists.

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Katz’s latest ranking comes days after he ranked Duke freshman [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag], the No. 1 overall player from the Class of 2024, as the best wing in the country before Flagg even played a collegiate game.

Duke basketball players voice support for Khaman Maluach in Olympic predictions

The Duke basketball team gave their Olympic podium predictions on Sunday with a lot of love for Khaman Maluach and jokes for Tyrese Proctor.

The Duke basketball team gave their predictions for the Olympic podium on Saturday, and the Blue Devils resoundingly think Team USA will walk away with yet another gold medal.

The Blue Devils social media team asked every player currently in Durham for their top three, and all but one of them said the United States would win gold.

The lone holdout? [autotag]Tyrese Proctor[/autotag], who of course picked his home country of Australia.

A couple of his American teammates tried to get a rise out of Proctor with the segment as well. [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] and Mason Gillis both went out of their way to say Australia wouldn’t medal. Flagg clarified he was only messing with his point guard, but Gillis simply smiled.

The only Blue Devil not with the team right now, incoming freshman [autotag]Khaman Maluach[/autotag], will play for South Sudan in Paris. Many of his teammates decided to support him with their predictions. Gillis, Maliq Brown, and Cameron Sheffield all gave their silver medals to South Sudan.

Check out the full predictions below.

Analytics site projects 2024-25 statistics for Cooper Flagg and Duke basketball

Bart Torvik, who runs one of the most popular college basketball analytics sites, thinks Cooper Flagg might average nearly 20 points per game.

The entire college basketball world awaits [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag]’s Duke debut later this fall, and it occasionally feels like the top-ranked freshman can’t possibly live up to the offseason hype.

According to Bart Torvik, who runs one of the most popular college basketball analytics sites in the country, our sights might not be set high enough.

Field of 68 posted Torvik’s 2024-25 statistical projections for the Blue Devils this week, and he thinks Flagg will lead the team with 19 points per game. For reference, only 14 players on Power Six basketball teams last season matched that total.

Torvik also thought Flagg would average eight rebounds per game, making him one of the most potent double-double threats in college basketball. His 6-foot-9 frame and eye-popping athleticism make that sound entirely feasible.

Despite head coach Jon Scheyer welcoming five other elite freshmen into his program this offseason, Torvik thinks Duke’s second-leading scorer will be a familiar face. Tyrese Proctor, the junior point guard who led the team in assists last season, slotted in with 14 points and four assists per game.

Khaman Maluach, the 7-footer who will play for South Sudan in the Olympics, finished with 12 points and eight rebounds in the projection. Caleb Foster, the Blue Devils only other returning guard, rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points per game.

Check out Duke Wire’s statistical projections for each Blue Devils freshman here.

Jon Scheyer talks about toughness and leadership on 2024-25 Duke basketball team

Jon Scheyer’s talked a lot this offseason about his Duke basketball team competing and showing toughness, but what does that mean?

Duke basketball coach [autotag]Jon Scheyer[/autotag] keeps using the words “compete” and “tough” to talk about his vision for the 2024-25 Blue Devils. He praised [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag], the top prospect in the country, for how hard he plays. But what exactly does Scheyer mean when he says stuff like that?

During a Monday episode of The Devil’s Den podcast, Scheyer broke down what he looks for in a basketball player and how he defines a competitor behind the scenes.

“For me, when I think about competitiveness or toughness, I think about somebody who wants to do it every single day,” Scheyer said. “Not just depending on the game, not just when the lights come on, but does somebody show up every single day.”

Scheyer brought up [autotag]Jared McCain[/autotag]’s work ethic a lot during the Philadelphia guard’s freshman season, so it’s safe to assume he’s been a shining recent example of this work ethic. The third-year Duke coach also thinks his older players, from returners Caleb Foster and Tyrese Proctor to his new transfers, show those same qualities.

“They’ve been incredible,” Scheyer said about his two returning guards. “They’ve been great with looking themselves in the mirror, things they can do better…they’re hungry, ready to go, but I think those three guys from the portal really provide that as well, Mason (Purdue transfer Mason Gillis) in particular.”

NBA scout praises Tyrese Proctor performance at Chris Paul Elite Camp

Duke guard Tyrese Proctor, one of two returning Blue Devils, needs a junior jump to solidify himself as an NBA prospect. One scout thinks he might get one.

Duke basketball star [autotag]Tyrese Proctor[/autotag] will return to Durham for the 2024-25 season, making him one of two Blue Devils starters back in Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Australian guard led the team with 3.7 assists per game last season, but some inconsistencies as a scorer and a shot-creator meant he couldn’t capitalize on the lottery promise he brought to Duke.

Unless he takes a leap as a junior in 2024-25. And according to one NBA scout after the 2024 Chris Paul Elite Camp, that might be what’s coming.

Jon Chepkevich, the Director of Scouting for DraftExpress, raved about Proctor’s performance at the offseason camp.

“Proctor showed encouraging signs of progress,” he wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “Knocked down shots, facilitated with poise, and used his size to his advantage defensively. Looks to have added some strength to his frame.”

He accompanied the takeaway with a quick highlight compilation of Proctor’s performance at the camp.

Standing out at the Chris Paul camp is no small feat. College stars like North Carolina‘s RJ Davis and Elliot Cadeau, Wake Forest’s Hunter Sallis, and Indiana’s Kanaan Carlyle all made the trip, as did Proctor’s future teammate [autotag]Sion James[/autotag].

The best photos from Tyrese Proctor’s 2023-24 season with Duke basketball

Here are some of the best photos from Tyrese Proctor, one of two returning Duke starters from 2023-24, as a sophomore with the Blue Devils.

When he first committed to the Duke basketball program, fans might not have expected three seasons of [autotag]Tyrese Proctor[/autotag].

After all, how many four-star and five-star prospects stay in college for multiple seasons anymore? Proctor came to Durham with lottery promise, and despite some inconsistencies on the offensive end, he’s shown some elite traits on the defensive end and as a distributor. He averaged a team-high 3.7 assists last season despite only playing 30 minutes per game, and the 6-foot-6 Australian seems poised to take a step forward now that he’s the elder statesman in the room.

There are older players on the 2024-25 Duke basketball roster, but none of them have spent more time with the Blue Devils than Proctor. Despite his new status as a locker room leader, he’s still only 20 years old, and he’s one great season from being a first-round draft pick in 2025.

Here are the best photos from Proctor’s sophomore season in Durham, from the fall through the Elite Eight.

Duke basketball freshman Kon Knueppel shows off 3-point shooting in new video

Kon Knueppel, an upcoming freshman on the Duke basketball team, almost knocked down 30 3-pointers in a row in a new practice video.

If you thought the hype for Duke basketball’s 2024 recruiting class couldn’t get any higher, Thursday proved you wrong.

In a two-minute video from a recent practice, [autotag]Kon Knueppel[/autotag] knocked down 28 3-pointers on 29 attempts from multiple different spots on the court.

Knueppel, a five-star prospect and a top-20 player in the class, already got first-round hype from multiple draft analysts. The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie thinks he might be the second-best freshman on the 2024-25 squad. It’s easy to see why he might be one of the best debutants in the nation next year if he, at 6-foot-7, can knock down triples with ease.

He’s still just the fourth-highest-rated player in the incoming recruiting class.

If you want some examples of the camaraderie in the Duke locker room, [autotag]Tyrese Proctor[/autotag] and [autotag]Mason Gillis[/autotag] rebounded for their new teammate in the extended video. Proctor stood under the rim and fired the ball back out to Gillis, who passed the ball back to Knueppel.

Duke fans get to see Knueppel, [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag], and the rest of Duke’s overhauled 2024-25 roster in the fall.