THE NCAAM season has wrapped up for the 2023 season, with some standout performers catching the eye over the course of the season.
There were a few Australians making an appearance over the course of the fixture in a number of divisions, although none had as much attention on them than Tyrese Proctor.
The talented guard came into the season having just joined the highest profile team in college sports, the Duke Blue Devils. The Blue Devils have a prestigious and successful history of winning, and generate plenty of pressure.
However, Proctor showed excellent signs over the course of the season, playing a vital role for Duke, and proving a valuable contributor.
Proctor was thrust into a starting role with Duke, with the team looking to take full advantage of his passing and score generation ability.
Coming into the fixture, Proctor was projected to be a lottery pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, with his opportunity with the Blue Devils likely to take that even higher. By the time this past season had wrapped, he had done no harm to those projections.
Proctor posted numbers of 9.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists on the season, more than solid numbers in the college systems, which has a number of contributors per team.
The six-foot-five guard had a purple patch midseason, where his offensive game began to truly take off. He consistently posted double-digits in the points column and was one of the teams best scorers during this patch.
Proctor looked extremely confident in his shot during this time, and stepped up when some of the team’s typical offensive staples were either a bit out of form or injured.
When those pieces returned to the team and became consistent contributors, Proctor’s passing came to the forefront. In early February, he posted a season-high 10 dimes, dishing to his teammates in the right positions at the perfect time to create another scoring opportunity for the Blue Devils.
Proctor seemed perfectly aware of what the team needed from him, and played his role magnificently for Duke. He was not always looking to score at all times, but did when the team needed an offensive spark, Proctor delivered. There is still plenty of room left for him to improve, and that will come in the next 12 months, but Proctor showed a lot of growth over the past few months and should play an even bigger role next year.
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