This NCAA season may be called the underdog campaign as many low-ranked and non-conference teams are emerging in the game. Moreover, these teams are also becoming the reason why the top-ranking teams are facing upsets. The Duke Blue Devils are finding themselves in a similar pickle right now as they have fallen to 16th rank in the AP Top 25 list. Initially, Duke ranked at No. 2 on the list. The Blue Devils, previously performing under Coach K’s nourishment, have been playing under Coach Jon Scheyer since 2022. This too has contributed to Duke’s shaky performance in recent times.

So far this season, the Blue Devils have lost three significant matchups namely, Arizona by a close 78-73, Arkansas by 80-75, and Georgia Tech by 76-68 respectively. More importantly, Duke’s shooting Tyrese Proctor sustained an ankle sprain in the Devils’ matchup against Georgia Tech itself. Now, with his upcoming return to Duke, let’s learn how Duke will seek some liberation to survive this season.

Tyrese Proctor’s return potential to change Duke’s performing landscape

Recently, the Duke Blue Devils have been finding themselves in a situation similar to what the LSU Lady Tigers were going through a few weeks back when Angel Reese didn’t show up in the starting lineup for 4 straight games.

In today’s episode of Field of 68, Rob Dauster puts it, “Duke is uh is going to be the team that ends up finding a way to win this,” as he indicated Tyrese’s return today.

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Although there are other talented players present on Duke’s roster, however, Tyrese Proctor’s presence has made a significant impact on the team’s performance. First of all, it’s his defense that made all the difference. Nearly at the start of almost every possession, Tyrese Proctor is the Blue Devil with the ball. Responsible for 28.1% of the team’s assists, Tyrese knows how to efficiently dish put the ball. This has resulted in his impressive stat of 4.5 assist-to-turnover which is rated 98% across the nation.

Then again, in terms of scoring, he is the third leading scorer on the Blue Devil roster with a total of 82 points, shooting with a field goal percentage of 56.5%. Moving on, Proctor is not that bad at defense as well. For starters, his 6-foot-5 stance poses a potential and visible threat to opponents, hence making him a versatile defender.

In addition, his impact on his teammates is too unmatched as Proctor is always responsible for at least one out of every three buckets made, whether it is for Filipowski, Roach, or McCain. Also, Proctor has displayed fine leadership skills as unlike other Freshmen, he knows how to keep his composure. This in turn has helped the Blue Devils to get crucial wins.

Notably, earlier this year in February, Proctor proved to be a solution for most of Duke’s problems. Simultaneously, as things progressed, the guard grew to be the Devils’ primary ball-handler. Eventually, the team functions well when he is leading. For instance, last season, in a matchup against North Carolina, he dished out 5 assists and kept the turnovers to only 3.

Critically speaking, Proctor is Duke’s one of the key players cashing in the 3-point shots. Only shoots about 28.8% from the deep, however, his team collectively shoots slightly above 32%. This tells a lot about Proctor’s lead in shooting as well. Although, he rarely scores most points for the Devils, however, his playmaking skills at hand often contribute to the biggest chances for the Devils to win.

His international experience has served him well with the knowledge of different techniques about how to play through contact while maintaining a good pace. Moreover, as coach Scheyer puts it, “he’s somebody that can score it, he can pass it, he can defend. He’s really easy to play with. He’s easy to coach. Off the court, he’s done everything we’ve asked.”

This season, Proctor has been averaging 10.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 4.5 assists, with a shooting percentage of 43.9%. The recent injury of ankle sprain sustained by Proctor on December 2nd kept him away from the court, as a result, the Bkue Devels tasted dust with a second straight loss to an unranked opponent.

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Although, that happened, however, the Devils did find their way to victory even with Proctor not being there on the court.

The Blue Devils liberating from devastation

Proctor has been missing out, however, Duke is still managing its way back into the game as Jared McCain has been holding the fort in his absence. Notably, in the last four games, McCain has been averaging 19.3 points per game, along with swift 3-point shots.

Moreover, this season so far, McCain has been averaging 10.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.8 assists with a field goal shooting percentage of 44.4%. He is getting praised for his remarkable performance by Rob Dauster saying, “he has found the scoring touch he has found the confidence and I don’t expect that to go away just because Tyrese Proctor’s back in the lineup.”

McCain, the freshman guard has been scoring well for the team. Duke’s matchup against Baylor has been recorded as the best game of his career as the Devils bagged a 78-70 win with McCain scoring a career-high 21 points, along with 3 3-point shots.

Moreover, the team has also seen an improvement in its ball movement in the recent three straight wins. The ball moved much more freely than the previous isolation-prone offenses. As a result, this has also increased the team’s excellent shooting performances from multiple players.

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Although, Proctor is a whole package, or per se a one-man show as a player, this is a team sport at the end of the day. If one player goes down, the others definitely rise up to keep the team’s momentum altogether. Though there are some aspects the Devils need to work on, but from this very instance, they surely are not gonna look back down.