NEWARK, N.J. – The stat line was burned into Tyrese Proctor’s memory like it was made by a branding iron.
Thirty minutes played. No field goals on nine attempts, including 0-of-5 from beyond the three-point arc. Zero points.
It was a performance that had a major impact on last season’s Elite Eight loss to NC State, which prevented favored Duke from getting to the Final Four.
Though Proctor wasn’t the only Blue Devil who struggled in that game, he took the loss personally and carried it with him throughout the long summer and into his junior season.
Saturday night at Prudential Center, that burden finally was lifted. Proctor, a 6-foot-6 junior from Australia, scored 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting; almost as important was that he spearheaded a defense that shut down Alabama star Mark Sears as top-seeded Duke rolled to an 85-65 victory in the East Region final.
The reward for his Elite Eight redemption is the Blue Devils’ 18th trip to the Final Four, next week in San Antonio.
“Obviously, being able to get over that hurdle, the preparation and time it has taken to do it, feels great,” Proctor said. “We understand that we’re not done yet. We have such a special group. It’s our job now to bring our sixth (national championship) back.”
The preparation Proctor mentioned began long before this season did. It drove him to make adjustments to his game and his attitude during an offseason in which his return to Duke wasn’t immediately guaranteed. Only after a series of meetings with coach Jon Scheyer, in which he was given the responsibility of being a veteran leader on a team that was to be dominated by five-star freshmen, was it decided that he would return.
It turned out to be a good decision for everyone concerned.
Not only has Proctor proven to be a steadying influence on freshmen Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, Khaman Maluach and Isaiah Evans, he also put together the best, most consistent season of his career.
He’s averaging 12.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists, and his 41.2 percent three-point accuracy is a full six points better than it was a year ago. He’s been especially good in the postseason. Since Duke’s win against Louisville in the ACC Tournament final, he’s 22-of-39 from three-point range.
“Yeah, obviously being on a journey with Coach, a lot has changed in a year,” Proctor said. “When I told Coach I was coming back, we both had a vision. I think just the way we executed and doubled down, the way I doubled down in the offseason, the way these guys had my back and I had theirs, I think it just shows a lot of resiliency.”
Against Alabama, Proctor got Duke off to a strong start with a three-pointer and a layup in transition. He also forced an early turnover against Sears that set the tone for the rest of the game. Sears, a 6-foot-1 senior who scored 35 against BYU in Alabama’s Sweet Sixteen win Thursday, was a nonfactor, scoring 6 points on 2-of-12 shooting and committing 5 turnovers.
“I know in my playing career, coaching career, I failed before succeeding,” Scheyer said. “I don’t want to call the Elite Eight a failure. Elite Eight is a special thing to be in this game. But for Tyrese in that moment, I think the maturity that he’s shown, his preparation throughout the summer (has helped him) be at (his) best when (his) best is required.
“During the year, it has been about winning the mental game, winning the preparation, winning the energy you put into these moments.”
Because Proctor won those moments, he and his coach were able to share a special moment on the sideline Saturday. After his final basket of the night, a three-pointer with 1:05 remaining that extended Duke’s lead to 20 points, the two shared an embrace and Proctor told Scheyer that he loves him.
“We’ve been through so much together,” Proctor said. “I don’t think I could put into words the emotions that we’ve had. Last year, obviously the way it ended wasn’t what we wanted. Just having the trust in him and him putting all his trust in me, just being able to lead these guys has been huge.”
