Duke basketball started game against Florida State missing two key rotation players
For the first time all season, No. 2 Duke played a game without Tyrese Proctor.
The 6-5 junior guard’s streak of 37 consecutive starts, which dated back to last season, ended Saturday against Florida State after he he sat out the game due to a bruised left knee.
Duke beat the Seminoles, 100-65, giving it six consecutive wins and 22 wins in its last 23 games.
Proctor, who averages 11.8 points and 2.3 assists per game, has made 40.8% of his 3-pointers. He surpassed the 1,000-point mark for his career during the Miami game. He’s also Duke’s top on-ball defender among its perimeter players.
In addition, 6-9 junior forward Maliq Brown missed his third consecutive game due to a dislocated shoulder. Brown was injured Feb. 17 when Duke won, 80-62, at Virginia.
Things appeared to go from bad to worse in the first half when star freshman Cooper Flagg, a national player of the year candidate and the projected No. 1 pick in this summer’s NBA Draft, was twice hit in the face and left the game against the Seminoles.
Flagg returned at the start of the second half.
Proctor suffered his bone bruise injury with 37 seconds remaining in the first half of Duke’s 97-60 win at Miami on Tuesday night. The following day, after medical tests determined no ligament or other soft tissue damage to Proctor’s knee, Duke coach Jon Scheyer said he expected Proctor to play again this season.
“Basically, it’s about his pain tolerance and it’s about his movement and strengthening,” Scheyer said Wednesday. “We’ll be very cautious with that and smart. I don’t want to give an exact time table, because it depends on how we can get him moving over the next days or weeks or however long it takes. But we’re gonna get him back, which is the most important thing.”
With Proctor not available against Florida State, Duke (26-3, 17-1 ACC) used a different starting lineup for the first time since November. The quintet of Proctor, Flagg, Sion James, Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach had started the past 21 games, with Duke going 20-1.
Proctor, Flagg, Knueppel and Maluach had started 28 games for Duke this season. Caleb Foster joined them for the first seven before James replaced him for Duke’s 84-78 win over Auburn on Dec. 4. Those are the only two starting lineups the Blue Devils had used this season prior to Saturday night.
Isaiah Evans replaced Proctor in the lineup against Florida State (16-12, 7-10 ACC). A 6-6 freshman, Evans had made 13 of 19 3-pointers over Duke’s past three games, averaging 16.7 points over the red-hot stretch. He’s made 47.1% of his 3-pointers this season.
Tuesday night, Scheyer made it clear Evans has played his way into an important role with the Blue Devils.
“Look, Isaiah, he’s established himself with what he’s done,” Scheyer said. “It’s easy to talk about the shooting. His defense has been off the charts. He’s guarding the ball as well as anybody. He knows exactly where to be.”
Evans led Duke with 19 points against Florida State as he made 6 of 17 shots, including 4 of 13 3-pointers.
Unbeaten at Cameron Indoor Stadium this season, Duke plays its final home game Monday at 7 p.m. against Wake Forest. If the Blue Devils beat the Demon Deacons (20-9, 12-6 ACC), they’ll clinch at least a share of the ACC regular-season championship regardless of how Clemson (24-5, 16-2 ACC) and Louisville (23-6, 16-2 ACC) fare in their final two games.
This story was originally published March 1, 2025 at 11:36 AM.