While Duke comfortably handled Miami (FL) on Tuesday night, the focus quickly shifted toward Duke junior guard Tyrese Proctor, who exited the game after injuring his left knee in the first half. After the game, no immediate update was given regarding Proctor’s situation. He was seen walking out of the arena on crutches:
Tyrese Proctor leaving with crutches pic.twitter.com/70G1e0kW8w
— David Lang (@Dukielang) February 26, 2025
On a star-studded team littered with high-end freshmen, losing a veteran staple like Proctor in the backcourt is the perfect recipe to derail Duke’s national title hopes this March.
The veteran guard is enjoying his best and most efficient season in Durham, averaging 12.0 PPG, 3.2 RPG and 2.3 APG on 41% shooting from three. Tonight, he eclipsed the 1,000-point scoring mark. He is the fifth Duke player in the last decade to achieve such a mark.
To put into context just how important Proctor’s role is on this talented Duke squad, he ranks as the 17th-best player in the country, according to Evan Miya’s player ratings, with an impressive assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.14. That’s the type of backcourt talent that’s irreplaceable.
But for Jon Scheyer, Duke may soon have to navigate life without Tyrese Proctor, depending on the severity of his injury.
With Proctor (presumably) out for the time being, the Blue Devils’ depth will take another hit as they eye the NCAA Tournament. Duke has been without backup forward Maliq Brown for the past week due to a shoulder injury. Guards such as Sion James, Caleb Foster and Isaiah Evans will look to carry on expanded roles if Proctor’s injury prolongs throughout the remainder of the regular season and beyond. Evans finished with 16 points on five made threes in Duke’s win on Tuesday.
Without Proctor manning the backcourt, Duke’s ceiling in March will unquestionably take a hit. Take a look at 2023-24 Houston. The Cougars -- who where elite all season long -- lost its backcourt star in Jamal Shead to an ankle injury in the Sweet 16. They were unable muster enough offense in the second half to get by the Blue Devils.
While Duke has the weapons in the backcourt to escape ACC unscathed without Proctor, winning six games in three weekends without your top guard is a different beast. But if Duke has proven anything this season, this team is also a different beast.