NBA HOPES can be made or broken during March Madness, and Aussie Tyrese Proctor has delivered a terrific performance on the big stage, leading the Duke Blue Devils on the offensive end in their win over the Baylor Bears on Monday.

Coming into March Madness, Proctor was looking to make his mark ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft in June, having slid down the rankings in a reduced role over the past 12 months with Cooper Flagg joining and becoming a magnet on the offensive end.

Although the Aussie was doing the best he could in a new off-ball role considering he is naturally a playmaking point guard, his overall impact was lower than previous years as expected. As the draft approaches, he has moved out of top 10 contention and slid down the draft boards, so March Madness was a crucial time for Proctor to add to his stock.

His performance in the win over the Bears was heroic, showing he can still match it with the best of them if given the opportunity, and although Flagg still did his thing with 18 points, nine rebounds and six assists, it was Proctor who stole the show.

Although he came into the season with question marks around his long-range shooting, the point guard has shown great improvement in his three-point mechanic, and Monday’s performance was the culmination of that.

His 25 points was a career-high, showing that the guard is still setting new highs in his Junior season, and is making NBA scouts take note of his production despite playing off the ball.

Proctor shot a remarkable 7/8 from behind the arc, absolutely torching the Bears from behind the arc, making the opposition pay for giving him far too much time and space. It was a perfect demonstration of his recent turnaround in form from behind the arc, having gone 0/10 from distance in his first two outings in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Now, Monday’s outing marked his third straight game with at least six triples, with the Blue Devils now able to rely on his shooting around the perimeter. The benefit of having a player with the level of star power that Flagg brings is that it often results in better looks for his teammates, and Proctor was the biggest beneficiary of that against Baylor.

Scouts will be aware that Proctor’s one-wood is his creativity with ball in hand despite a change in role, but Monday’s performance was a stark reminder that the Aussie has put in the work to add to his offensive arsenal, making him a more flexible fit on an NBA side.

With Duke likely to be going deep into the National Tournament given they are currently the favourites to win it all, it seems Proctor is hitting his straps at the right time.