The NBA is currently experiencing a boom in Australian players, with players like Josh Giddey, Josh Green, and Duop Reath all making a name for themselves in the world's top league.
In the next few years, a number of new Aussies could join this cohort, with plenty of notable names from Down Under eligible for the 2024 NBA Draft.
Among this group is guard Tyrese Proctor, the Sydney-born player currently starring for Duke in the NCAA.
But Australian fans will have to wait at least one more year to see that, with Proctor electing to return to college for his third year with the Blue Devils.
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When will Tyrese Proctor get drafted? Australian guard returns to Duke for junior year
Tyrese Proctor is set to return to Duke for his third year, after a sophomore season that did not quite live up to expectations.
Duke guard Tyrese Proctor is running it back😈 @TyreseProctor pic.twitter.com/kDTEENTGoq
— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) April 11, 2024
Despite early lottery projections, there was no guarantee that he will hear his name called if he declared for the 2024 draft - currently, The Sporting News, The Athletic, Bleacher Report, and ESPN all have the guard not being selected with one of the 58 available selections, while The Ringer had him being taken 52nd and Sports Illustrated projecting 54th.
This was a seismic fall-off from Proctor, who this site projected as the fourth overall pick in late 2023, with ESPN also having him in the lottery at 12.
Considering this, as well as the somewhat disappointing way in which Duke's 2024 March Madness run ended at the hands of 11-seed NC State, Proctor has elected to return to Durham, where he will join up with impressive freshman duo Cooper Flagg and Khaman Maluach.
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Why did Tyrese Proctor's NBA draft stock fall?
Coming into the 2023-24 NCAA season, Tyrese Proctor was considered one of the major names to watch, a second-year two-way guard starring for a blue-blood team in Duke.
Duke had a solid season, claiming the second seed in the ACC Tournament, and despite a first-round loss to NC State, claimed a four-seed in the NCAA tournament and progressed to the Elite Eight, where they were once again dispatched by NC State.
Tyrese Proctor dealt with some injury woes this season, but improved Year 1 👉🏼 Year 2
— Rick Heidrick (@rheidrick24) April 11, 2024
9.4 PPG 👉🏼 10.5 PPG
3.3 AST 👉🏼 3.7 AST
38.1% FG 👉🏼 42.3% FG
43.9% 2pt 👉🏼 52.1% 2pt
32.0% 3pt 👉🏼 35.2% 3pt
Expecting a bigger leap w/ the roster construction around him in Year 3! 😈 pic.twitter.com/9f95vao1DV
But according to The Sporting News' NBA Draft expert Kyle Irving, Proctor's offensive limitations and lack of physical development are key factors in why the Australian has found himself out in the cold this draft cycle.
"I expected Tyrese Proctor to take a major leap as a sophomore, potentially climbing as high as a top-five pick in a weaker 2024 NBA Draft class. Proctor fell well short of those expectations in what was a plateauing second year at Duke," Irving said.
"The 20-year-old's offensive game hasn't developed since stepping foot on campus in Durham. Even though he was more efficient from the field (42.3 percent) and 3-point range (35.2 percent) this season, he was still an inconsistent jump shooter who could be left alone without harm.
"His passing and playmaking was once his best skill, but he has struggled to find a groove in a combo guard role, playing alongside veteran Jeremy Roach for two years.
"Proctor still has NBA tools as a 6-foot-5 guard who can handle the ball and play disruptive defense with his length, but he would benefit from another year at Duke. He needs to put on weight and muscle, and it is vital that he improves as a shot creator before reaching the next level.
"Playing alongside a future superstar like incoming freshman Cooper Flagg will only help his growth, too."
Tyrese Proctor 2024 NCAA season stats
Despite not succeeding in boosting his draft standing, Proctor still had an impressive 2023-24 season, boosting an impressive Duke squad.
Proctor completely shut down Houston's Hammer/Throwback play. Denied the initial pass to the wing and would not give up the drive to set it up. pic.twitter.com/GHCKibYhwm
— Coach Gibson Pyper (@HalfCourtHoops) March 30, 2024
Proctor was especially elite on the defensive end, a key part of Duke's defeat of Houston in the Sweet 16.
- 10.5 points
- 3.0 rebounds
- 3.7 assists
- 0.7 steals
- 0.1 blocks
- 42.3 field goal percentage
- 35.2 three-point percentage
- 75.5 free throw percentage
