Duke adds Australian point guard Tyrese Proctor to 2023 class

New Duke head coach Jon Scheyer reached across the ocean to add to his 2023 recruiting class on Thursday, when Australian point guard Tyrese Proctor announced his intentions to sign with the Blue Devils. Proctor is the fourth member of Duke;’s 2023 class, which is shaping up to be another star-studded haul.

Below, Rivals.com has a look at what the newest Duke commit brings to the table as well as what he means for the big picture.

WHAT DUKE IS GETTING

Rivals doesn't numerically rank international prospects unless they play high school or grassroots basketball in the United States, but we’ve had the opportunity to view Proctor on a couple of occasions live. Most recently, he Australian point guard captivated onlookers at the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas back in December and looked every bit like a top-20 prospect in the process. Proctor is still developing physically, but feels almost college-ready from a skill and poise standpoint. The 6-foot-4 floor general dictates pace and gets to his spots in the half court with relative ease. He also has a knack for taking defenders off the dribble and either finishing at the bucket or finding the open man when things break down. Proctor is a pass-first guard that sees the floor incredibly well, but that’s not to downplay his scoring ability. He has no problem finishing at the rim through traffic and seems to be a decent long-range shooter, though our sample size on his jumper is admittedly small.

WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE BLUE DEVILS

Jon Scheyer is a big believer in Proctor, as snagging an international point guard this early in the 2023 cycle is not something a program as hot as Duke does unless they’re blown away by the talent. Of course a reclassification option exists, but there are no concrete signs that Proctor will exercise it at the moment. If he does, indeed, enroll in 2023 as planned, he’ll pair well with fellow commit Caleb Foster in the Blue Devils’ backcourt. Foster’s stronger, more physical scoring game featured a more-proven jumper and the size to bring versatility to the defensive end. This fits well with Proctor's elite playmaking ability, ball-handling prowess and quickness. NBA scouts are high on proctor’s long-term pro potential. Proctor’s father played Division-I basketball at Ole Miss and professionally overseas, so the bloodlines are encouraging as well.