Duke basketball sees second player from 2024-25 roster declare for NBA Draft
Another of Duke’s starting five from its Final Four team is turning professional.
Tyrese Proctor, a 6-5 guard from Australia who played three seasons for the Blue Devils, announced on Instagram that he’s leaving school to enter the NBA Draft.
Proctor started 38 games for Duke, missing one game due to a bruised knee, and averaged 12.4 points while making 40.5% of his 3-point shots. Both were career-best statistics.
Proctor joins 6-7 freshman Kon Knueppel in leaving school early to turn pro. While Knueppel is projected as a lottery pick in this summer’s NBA Draft, Proctor is projected as a likely second-round selection.
Originally slated to join the Blue Devils for the 2023-24 season, Proctor agreed to Duke coach Jon Scheyer’s request to enroll a year early. As a freshman in 2022-23, Proctor averaged 9.4 points while helping Duke win an ACC championship.
He became a team captain as a sophomore when Duke reached the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight. Though he averaged 10.5 points and improved his 3-point shooting to 35.2%, he went scoreless when N.C. State beat Duke in the South Regional final to advance to the Final Four.
As a junior, Proctor was a key player in Duke’s 35-4 season where the Blue Devils won another ACC championship. He scored 19 points in Duke’s 73-62 win over Louisville in the ACC Tournament final, following that up by scoring 19 and 25 points in Duke;s first two NCAA Tournaments against Mount Saint Mary’s and Baylor.
After scoring just seven points in Duke’s 100-93 Sweet 16 win over Arizona, Proctor tallied 17 when the Blue Devils beat Alabama 85-65 in the East Regional final to advance to the Final Four.
But, at San Antonio’s Alamodome, Proctor hit just 2 of 8 shots, missing all four of his 3-pointers, as Houston rallied to beat Duke, 70-67, in the national semifinal.
Proctor’s decision is part of a big week of roster movement for Duke. While he and Knueppel are heading to the NBA, 6-5 guard Caleb Foster announced he’ll be returning to Duke for his junior season.
Earlier Friday, 6-6 small forward Shelton Henderson, one of Duke’s incoming freshmen, received a release from the National Letter of Intent he’d signed with the school last November. That allows him to sign with another school.
In addition to Foster, Duke returns Isaiah Evans, a 6-6 small forward who made 43.2% of his 3-pointers, mostly in a reserve role, while averaging 6.8 points. Another rising sophomore, Darren Harris, is also on track to return next season.
Duke’s recruiting class includes 6-4 guard Cayden Boozer on the perimeter.
The Blue Devils are a major player in the recruitment of Washington State transfer Cedric Coward, a 6-6, 206-pound guard who averaged 17.7 points last season while playing just six games due to a shoulder injury.
This story was originally published April 18, 2025 at 8:24 PM.