ALTHOUGH his change in role for the Duke Blue Devils may not have been ideal for individual production, Aussie Tyrese Proctor has done all he can to ensure selection at the 2025 NBA Draft in June.

With the arrival of Cooper Flagg to the world’s most storied college basketball program, the landscape was completely changed for Proctor and his Duke teammates. Suddenly, the offence ran through Flagg, who is projected to be the first overall selection if he nominates for the draft, having fully announced himself as the best prospect since Victor Wembanyama.

Given Proctor was thriving as a creative playmaking point guard who can score the ball inside and hold his own defensively, the change slowed down his production. Heading into the 2024/25 season, he was looming as a top 10 selection in the 2025 draft, and looked comfortable as the Blue Devils’ point guard, having excelled in the role previously.

Instead, Proctor had to shift his focus into more of an off-ball role, which was a challenge at first as perimeter shooting was not one of his strong suits. However, the Sydney native did not shy away from the challenge, improving his three-point shooting by five per cent on the season and nailing 40 per cent of his attempts from behind the arc.

Despite a solid crack in his new role, Proctor’s draft stocks did slide as expected, given his reduced role, and there was a slim chance he would drop out of draft contention. However, a strong March Madness campaign put his game back in the spotlight, and he seems a likely selection in June.

In his first five conference games during ACC play, Proctor posted double-digits in the scoring column and looked a reliable offensive option for the Blue Devils. Although he had a scoring slump in the two games that followed, Proctor pulled himself out of it to have some big showings under bright lights.

His 20 points against Boston College showed his ceiling as a playmaker, and proved crucial within the context of the match after Duke got a reasonable scare, while his performance against the Clemson Tigers was just as impressive despite the loss.

In the National Tournament, it was Proctor’s 25 points against the Baylor Bears that did the most for his draft chances. In the Sweet 16 matchup, the Aussie nailed nine of his 10 attempts from the field, which included shooting 7/8 from behind the arc, showcasing how much his shooting mechanic has improved and how much steadier he looks when firing off a shot.

Although he had a quiet outing in the Final Four loss to the Houston Cougars with just seven points, Proctor has seemingly done enough to justify selection in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft thanks to some big performances under bright lights. A six-foot-six guard with tremendous defensive traits and excellent offensive potential is certainly worth a gamble for a side at the top level after all.