Duke basketball guard Tyrese Proctor will reportedly forego the NBA draft and return for his junior season, per college basketball insider Adam Zagoria.
Proctor averaged 10.5 points, 3.7 assists and three rebounds during his sophomore season with Duke.
Proctor and the Blue Devils had a solid March Madness run into the Elite Eight before being upset by in-state rival NC State.
Now returning, Proctor will look to help lead Duke to its first Final Four since the end of the Mike Krzyzewski era.
Proctor had a disappointing showing in the Elite Eight loss, failing to score on the night. Perhaps that sluggish performance will serve as motivation as he returns for his junior season and tries to raise his draft stock.
The Blue Devils could lose a handful of players to the NBA draft this offseason. Star freshman Jared McCain is a projected lottery pick as is sophomore forward Kyle Filipowski.
Senior guard Jeremy Roach has another year of eligibility but could decide to go to the NBA draft. Duke could lose a handful of players to the transfer portal as well.
Filipowski (16.4 points per game), McCain (14.3) and Roach (14) made up for a bulk of Duke’s scoring last season. If the Blue Devils lose all three of those players there will be a lot of offense to make up for.
That could make the 2024-25 season prime for Proctor to step up though. He showed flashes of his scoring with a 24-point performance against Louisville, but he never got over the hump to be a consistent scorer.
With several Duke stars likely on their way out, Proctor could be who the Blue Devils turn to next season.
