‘Really Proud of Him’: Proctor, Scheyer Highlight Growth in Duke’s NCAA Tournament Win

Jon Scheyer wiped away a tear, and the press conference room fell quiet.

Duke had just defeated Baylor 89-66 in the NCAA Tournament’s second round. Tyrese Proctor stole the spotlight, hitting a career-high seven three-pointers and becoming the first Blue Devil since 2010 to make five or more 3-pointers in back-to-back NCAA tournament games.

Just moments before, a smiling Scheyer had patted Proctor on the shoulder while the guard answered questions from the media. Now, as the junior guard headed to the locker room to celebrate, Duke’s usually composed coach needed a brief moment to compose himself.

“I think it’s what I’m most proud of, or as proud of as anything,” Scheyer said. “The journey Tyrese and I have been on.”

His emotions were clear. Both of them had come a long way to reach this point.

Their journey together started in 2022 when Scheyer became Duke’s head coach and Proctor reclassified to start his freshman year early. The Sydney native had an impressive debut season, scoring double digits in 18 games and often shooting over 50% from three. He also totaled 31 points across three ACC Tournament games and scored 16 against Tennessee in Duke’s second-round NCAA Tournament loss. With the season over, he could have declared for the 2023 NBA Draft.

Instead, he stayed.

Proctor trusted the program Scheyer was building. In his first year as head coach, Scheyer guided Duke to an ACC title and a No. 5 seed in the tournament. He saw significant room for growth, both for the team and Proctor.

“He and his family… They had such maturity to understand it’s more important to be ready than just be drafted,” Scheyer said. “So he doubles down. Comes back. Huge expectations, and me and Tyrese both would say his sophomore year didn’t go the way we wanted.”

Proctor struggled the following season, facing a lingering ankle injury and failing to improve. Even in his best performance—a 24-point game against Louisville—he shot just 4-for-10 from three. When Duke lost to N.C. State in the Elite Eight, Proctor finished with zero points. His future seemed uncertain.

Meanwhile, Scheyer’s success continued. He became Duke’s fastest coach to 50 wins, reaching the mark in 65 games, and posted the most overall wins, conference wins, and NCAA Tournament wins in his first two seasons. With Cooper Flagg joining the team, Scheyer knew he could assemble a strong 2024-25 roster.

Proctor had to decide if he wanted to be part of that future.

“It’s easy to split, and I was not in a convincing mode,” Scheyer said. “We had honest conversations, like we always do. I think the difference is for a guy in that position to take it, as opposed to making excuses or running away from it. I think that’s the special part.”

Despite uncertainty over his role on a team filled with new talent, Proctor chose to return to Duke for his junior year. He was one of just two players to do so. The junior guard emerged as a leader, stepping up when needed.

When his younger teammates struggled in tight games, Proctor kept the team in it. He hit five threes against Kansas and four against Clemson. But when Flagg and Maliq Brown both suffered injuries in the ACC Tournament, Proctor struggled, going 0-for-10 from three in the first two games.

He bounced back in the ACC Championship, sinking six threes against Louisville to help secure the title. He continued his strong play in the NCAA Tournament, hitting six against Mount St. Mary’s and seven against Baylor.

“When Tyrese plays with the type of confidence that he’s been playing with this whole second half of the season, it’s just really good for our team,” Cooper Flagg said. “He’s just such a talented player, such a weapon for us, when he’s being confident, looking for a shot.”

On Sunday, as Proctor drained threes across the court, Scheyer shared his smile from the sidelines. His No. 1 seed team was finding its rhythm against Baylor, and Proctor, now a veteran, was leading the charge.

As the Blue Devils danced past Baylor, they found open shots with ease, almost as if guided by neon signs. Five of Proctor’s 3-pointers came from assists by his new teammates—two from Flagg, two from Kon Knueppel, and one from Sion James. Proctor also shared the ball, assisting Knueppel on a three-pointer and Khaman Maluach on a dunk.

Duke’s ability to execute the right plays made it one of the most dominant teams on Sunday, with a combined 67-point victory margin over the first two rounds.

Much of the credit goes to Scheyer’s roster building and coaching, which have drastically improved over the past three years. He has helped the Blue Devils capitalize on their offensive strengths and dominate in the tournament.

A large portion of the credit goes to Proctor, who has made a name for himself in the tournament with 13-of-16 threes and 44 points. He has improved significantly from his freshman season—shooting nearly 9.5% better from three and 7% better from the field.

“I’ve never been the person to sort of jump off a ship,” Proctor said. “In a sense, I’m just trusting myself, obviously trusting coach Scheyer and the program here.”

“For this to happen, for Tyrese to hit seven threes, and to be our key guy after going through all these moments… I think that speaks a lot to his character,” Scheyer said. “The relationships you can build with a guy for three years… Man, I’m obviously really proud of him.”