It’s rare in college basketball these days for All-Conference type players to stick around for three years, but Tyrese Proctor did just that at Duke after enrolling a year early to start his career. The lone player to play for all three Blue Devils’ teams coached by Jon Scheyer, Proctor helped lead young squads the last two years to an ACC Championship and Final Four, respectively.
Not surprisingly, Proctor announced his decision to enter his name in the NBA Draft Eligibility Pool following his junior year and is now participating in the NBA Combine in preparation to start his professional career. On Wednesday, Proctor and other former Duke players met with the media and an interviewer asked if he was all-in on the draft or could potentially return to college for one more season. He shut down the option of returning pretty quickly.
“Yeah, I’ve always said I’m 100% in or 100% out,” reported 247Sports.com Basketball Analyst Isaac Trotter. “I’m happy with my decision. I loved being at Duke. I wish I could (go back), but I am 100% in. (Duke) was really good with all that.”
The junior guard played 38 games this past season, logging 30 minutes per game, and put up the third-most points (14.4 PPG) on a loaded squad. He improved in nearly every statistic, upping his field goal percentage to 45.2% and shooting over 40% from three-point range for the first time in his career.
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With 1,143 career points, Proctor has scored more than all but 51 players in their Duke career, and wold have been be on pace to move into the Top 30 all-time with another season similar to this past one. At 6’5″, the combo guard has above average size and has developed into a staunch defender during his time in Durham.
“It’s been an incredible ride with Tyrese Proctor,” Scheyer said in a prepared video statement following Proctor’s announcement. “Tyrese, it’s not just what he’s done this past season. To me, it’s about the journey he’s been on the last three seasons. To see his individual growth that he’s made over his time at Duke. To see the amount of wins… For me, I couldn’t be more proud of Tyrese and what he’s done this season, but also so excited for him in this next step that he’s going to make. It’s time for him to chase that NBA dream.”
During his final season as a Blue Devil, Proctor averaged 12.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.
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