A new era of Duke men's basketball is on the horizon, and with it comes an almost entirely new roster. In this series, the Blue Zone analyzes film on each of the Blue Devils' new signees and transfers for the 2022-23 season. We previously looked at Kale Catchings, Ryan Young, Jaden Schutt, Mark Mitchell, Dariq Whitehead, Dereck Lively II, Christian Reeves and Kyle Filipowski. Next, let’s take a look at Tyrese Proctor:
One of the most intriguing additions to this season’s Blue Devil lineup is Australian guard Tyrese Proctor. He was not supposed to be in Durham until next year until a surprise reclassification announcement in June had him instantly help fill a hole left by Trevor Keels’ departure. Proctor arrived in Durham late after helping his Australian national team capture the FIBA Asia Cup in Indonesia over the summer.
The five-star guard from Sydney will be an instant difference-maker as he looks to fill another void left by fellow freshman Dariq Whitehead, whose recent foot injury and surgery means he won't be on his feet until the season really gets going. Ranked as the No. 23 overall player in his class in spite of joining an older group through reclassifying, he has quite the skill set for an 18-year-old. Shot creating, defending and operating a smooth offensive system are his best traits.
Proctor is a lengthy guard standing at 6-foot-5 and has a solid game on both sides of the floor. Duke always likes to use a skilled 3-point shooter—whether that is Proctor or fellow freshman guard Jaden Schutt connecting from deep—so the Blue Devils will remain strong in that area. Watch the clip below as Proctor breaks down his defender with his first move and connects from way outside to add three to the board.
He is also a capable primary ball-handler, as he played point guard throughout his high school career at the NBA Global Academy. He broke down some of his film with ESPN’s Mike Schmitz back in April, but let’s take a look at one clip of him making a great read off a ball screen.
And check out this other read coming off another ball screen as his team sets up the offense.
The no-look pass to an open man could be deadly with more comfortable shooters at Duke spotting up for the skip pass.
Over the summer, en route to Australia’s second Asia Cup trophy, Proctor was one of the bright spots on one of the world’s best international squads. Though coming off the bench, he brought aggressiveness and decision-making beyond his years. Watch here as he makes a conscious decision not to force a deep 3-pointer against an incoming defender but instead crossover to his dominant right hand and explode through the lane to finish through contact.
Defensively, his length in the backcourt really stands out. Increasing his strength since arriving in Durham is sure to help make him an even more physical defender, but he is smart when cutting off players on the drive. Watch here as he cuts off a drive, blocks a shot and then forces his man to pick up his dribble while off-balance and take a bad deep shot in these three consecutive clips.
It will be intriguing to watch his development off the bench—or see how he does as a starter if circumstances require it early in the season. One thing is for certain, however: this kid is going to be exciting, folks.
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Micah Hurewitz is a Trinity senior and was previously a sports managing editor of The Chronicle's 118th volume.