Scouting Tyrese Proctor: How can the Australian guard help Duke?

The June 1 deadline for players to pull out of the NBA draft and maintain college eligibility passed. Not only did Duke freshman Trevor Keels opt to stay in, but so did the Blue Devil’s top target, AJ Green. Last night, 2023 Duke commitment Tyrese Proctor took to Instagram to announce that he would be classifying up to the 2022 class.

Proctor becomes the No. 35 ranked player in On3’s 2022 player rankings. He is the seventh commitment from the high school class and fifth in the top 50. Duke maintains On3’s No. 1 rated 2022 high school class.

Scouting Proctor

Tyrese Proctor fits the trend of guards that have had success in college basketball over the last couple of years. He is a complimentary guard, in the same light as Tyrese Haliburton and TyTy Washington.

He has the look of a multi-year college player who can take some of the initiation burdens off the primary ball handler but also make shots from beyond the arc. What you notice first about Proctor is the jump shot. He has excellent fundamentals, with a high shot pocket and a repeatable release. He is a consistent shooter off the catch.

Proctor is also an advanced passer. He can whip the ball around, left-hand, right-hand, one-hand, etc., creating looks for his teammates in the half-court. These two aspects of his game are truly high-level.

Proctor lacks true pop off the bounce. He struggled to get past his man off the bounce in our multiple live viewings this season. This pop could develop for Proctor as he gets into a college strength and nutrition program. Adding weight will be critical for him moving forward.

Proctor has a high basketball IQ. He sees the floor in an advanced manner, one play ahead many times. When the defense was either playing in a zone or showing token pressure above the three-point arc, he was able to deliver the ball all over the floor.

Once he gets to Duke, Proctor will need to continue cleaning up his play off the bounce. He is very comfortable going right, making reads and plays. However, in our viewings, he was turnover prone when going left in the half-court. The jump shot also broke down a little when shooting off the bounce; the mechanics were not as clean and consistent.

What Proctor brings to Duke

In an age filled with one-and-done prospects, getting a good player for multiple years is like hitting the jackpot in collegiate basketball.

At 6-foot-3 with a 6-foot-7 wing span, Tyrese Proctor is adept at playing off the ball entirely or on the ball as a secondary initiator. His passing and shooting off the catch should be able to get him reserve minutes immediately. He is also a solid vertical athlete.

Playing alongside/behind Jeremy Roach for at least one season will help Proctor. He can focus on development instead of having the pressure of being thrust directly into the lineup. As he tightens the handle and gains strength, his playing time should grow. There are some very intriguing tools with some very real upside here. Patience will tell the story.

Proctor’s dad, Rod Proctor, played collegiately in Mississippi and then professionally in Australia. Proctor’s birthday is April 1, 2004, making him the second-youngest player in Duke’s 2022 class. He played for the same NBA Academy club team that produced Dyson Daniels and Josh Giddey.

Proctor’s social media statement

“The moment I stepped foot inside Cameron, I knew it was where I belonged. I’m ready to step up and face a new challenge where I maximize my development as a player and continue to grow on and off the court. Waiting for a year to put on that Duke jersey was too long. After weighing my options with my family and coaches, I’m exited to announce I will be reclassifying up to the class of 2022. It will be an honor to join Coach Scheyer’s first team and represent one of the best universities in the world on the basketball court. Can’t wait to get to work at Duke!” -Tyrese Proctor (the post)

Duke’s projected 2022-23 starting lineup

Even after bringing in seven high school seniors and two from the transfer portal, Duke still has two available scholarships. Look for them to bring in some guard help. A shot-making wing would boost what they already have next season, so would some more help/depth at the point guard position.

The transfer portal is dwindling, but there are still 1,100 or so players available. While the Blue Devils do not need a star, they do need players who can come in and relish the moment.

PG – Jeremy Roach
SG – Jaylen Blakes (the starter here is most likely not on the roster and will come from the transfer portal)
SF – Dariq Whitehead
PF – Mark Mitchell
C – Kyle Filipowski

**Dereck Lively and Mark Mitchell should get similar minutes and Ryan Young will round out the four-man post rotation.

Lineup thoughts

Jaylen Blakes is listed as the starter merely as a placeholder. The starter at the shooting guard is most likely not on the roster currently. As noted above, Duke has two scholarships available and will be targeting at least one guard, maybe two, who can come in and help right away.

Proctor, who is 18 y.o., classifying up to the 2022 class will help with the depth of next year’s team. Getting back to his original class makes sense and should prepare him to be ready to take over the starting spot for the following year.

It will be fascinating to see how Scheyer handles the front-court rotation next season. Kyle Filipowski will be the most game-ready player of the bunch. His skill and physicality are plug and play from day one. The interesting part will be if Lively, a true five, and Filipowski can play together for long stretches. How quickly Lively gets adjusted to the physicality and speed of the game will be the integral piece of the equation.

As things project to next season, when Lively is on the floor, you gain a rim-protector, but you risk losing an offensive threat and rebounding. When Filipowski is on the floor, you gain rebounding, toughness, and an offensive threat from multiple positions on the floor, but you lose true rim protection.

Filipowski’s and Lively’s minutes will most likely be staggered, and there will be some minutes they will play together. In theory, Mark Mitchell is a switchable defender, at 6-foot-9 with a lengthy wing span. He looks to be the perfect stop-gap in the rotation.

Ryan Young is a true five and could carve out minutes due to his effectiveness in scoring the ball.