"This one hurts bro": Fans get sentimental as Duke seemingly bids farewell to Tyrese Proctor ahead of 2025 NBA Draft
Duke Blue Devils guard Tyrese Proctor is approaching the end of his college basketball career after his third stint. On Friday, the junior made the tough decision to call it a career in collegiate hoops, as he will declare for the NBA Draft this year, prematurely ending his time with the Durham, North Carolina-based program after spending his entire tenure there.
The decision was confirmed by the Blue Devils, who shared a video of coach Jon Scheyer talking about Proctor's journey at Duke. Check out the video below.
Fans reacted to Proctor's time in collegiate hoops coming to an end.
"This one hurts, bro," one shared.
"Hate to see him go, but it’s deserved. He had 3 good years," another claimed.
"Loved how much Tyrese loved Duke. You could tell that from the start. With so many kids making decisions all related to 💰. It’s nice to see someone who cared more about the letters on the jersey than the decimals on the check," one explained.
"Gonna miss that Aussie accent! Good Luck to Rese & Thank you for these last 3 years," a fan wrote with sad emojis.
Others, especially the Blue Devils faithful, expressed their pride about Proctor and how much they are looking forward to seeing him shine in the professional stage.
"My favorite player to wear the Duke jersey! Thank you Tyrese for everything!! You were amazing to watch. This one hurts but I know it’s time for you to go be great!!! Love you Tyrese!," one said with a blue and white heart emoji.
"Dude was made for the pro game, I pray my Sixers scoop him," another posted.
"Just a huge fan of Proctor one of my favorite 2 way players Duke has had. Good day mate!," a fan pointed out.
This year, Proctor averaged 12.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists per contest en route helping Duke finish with an overall record of 35-4 and 19-1 in conference play.
Jon Scheyer says growth of Tyrese Proctor has been incredible
In the minute-long video uploaded by the Duke Blue Devils on X, Jon Scheyer reflected on Tyrese Proctor's tenure with the storied program.
From his days as a freshman to forgoeing his final years of college eligibility, Scheyer said that Proctor's growth has been an incredible journey.
"It's been an incredible ride for Tyrese Proctor. Tyrese, it's not just what he did this past season. To me, it's about the journey we been on the last three seasons. And to see his individual growth that he's made over his time at Duke, to see the amount of wins, 89 wins, his impact for our program really came at a time when he's playing for a guy that's never been a head coach before," Scheyer explained.
As Tyrese Proctor departs from the Blue Devils, Scheyer and Co. will look to retool this offseason for the 2025-26 campaign, aiming to snap a now decade-long national title drought for the program.