College, NBL or G League: What's next for Tyrese Proctor?
Tyrese Proctor is Australia's leading 2004-born prospect, and likely has his eyes set on the NBA. What could the best pathway be?
By now, it’s no secret that Tyrese Proctor headlines Australia’s 2004-born crop of basketball prospects. The 6’4 guards brings a blend of flashy handles and isolation jumpers to the table, and his eye-catching highlight reels were first covered by The Pick and Roll in early 2021.
Coming out of Canberra’s NBA Global Academy, the Sydney native made a name for himself at the 2021 Australian Under-20 championships, averaging 13.8 points and 4.4 assists as a double bottom ager. Proctor similarly tore up the 2018 Under-18 Championships, where he led a fourth placed NSW metro side with averages of 18.6 points and 3.1 assists.
The 17 year old added to his ever-growing highlight reel with a series of mesmerising behind the back moves and shifty step back jumpers. His 36% three-point clip across the two tournaments (on 6.4 attempts per game) may not jump off the page, but when factoring in the degree of difficulty on his shots, Proctor has the makings of a dangerous isolation scorer. A lazy player comparison would be Allen Iverson, not based on talent, but rather their mutual ability to create separation out of thin air.
More recently, Proctor toured America with the NBA Global Academy, playing a series of invitational games throughout the 2022-23 summer. He drew praise from ESPN’s Jonathan Givony at the Tarkanian Classic in December, before adding to his hype at the National Prep School Invitational in February. Travis Barnham of 247 Sports described Proctor as “one of the best in the class [of 2023]”, and it’s hardly surprising that US colleges likely have their collective eye on the Aussie.
Proctor’s recruitment has gathered significant momentum in recent months, to the point where he received an offer from the prestigious Duke University. Duke was once home to Melbourne United forward Jack White, whose four years at the institute paved the way for a productive NBL career thus far. Unsurprisingly, Proctor has also received an offer from the University of Arizona, who previously made a play to recruit Josh Giddey and Mojave King, before the 2002-born duo opted to sign NBL Next Star contracts.
Thus far, Proctor has visited both Arizona and Duke, suggesting that the two college heavyweights are at the forefront of his mind. The talented guard also has offers from Arizona, Oklahoma and Tennessee on the table, so he isn’t exactly short on options. As for when we might see Proctor on the NCAA stage, it could be a year earlier than previously anticipated.