Getting to know Duke basketball freshman guard Tyrese Proctor

Tyrese Proctor could thrive in the role of a Duke basketball turbo booster.

Duke basketball guard Tyrese Proctor (Matt Giles-Blue Devil Country)

Kyrie Irving and RJ Barrett are two lightfooted sensations who come to mind when Tyrese Proctor thinks of his favorite former Duke basketball players, the first-year collegian from Australia told Blue Devil Country at the program's annual preseason media day on Tuesday.

"Definitely Kyrie [Irving]," Proctor noted. "Kyrie was one of the iconic guys here, and then obviously being a guard, sort of being shifty like him, I try to watch a lot of him. And then RJ Barrett, when they had their run in the tournament and in their season, I watched a lot of him that year. But those are probably the two that stick out the most."

How much Duke basketball did Proctor, a potential immediate starter for the Blue Devils, watch while growing up in Sydney?

"A lot," answered the 6-foot-5, 180-pound combo guard, who reclassified in June to join the 2022-23 Blue Devils, finished No. 27 on the 247Sports 2022 Composite, said he is confident playing positions 1-3, and might well serve as the team's tempo-pushing floor general whenever junior point guard Jeremy Roach is on the bench.

Proctor later explained that, due to the time difference, he and his dad usually had to settle for replays of Duke basketball games but were occasionally able to check out the Blue Devils live on the weekends.

Of course, now the broad-shouldered 18-year-old is a Blue Devil. And as a Blue Devil, Proctor enjoyed the perk of playing alongside Barrett in an open run when the current New York Knicks star and 2018-19 one-and-done visited his old stomping grounds two weeks ago.

Clips of Proctor and Barrett greeting one another in the program's practice facility are just a tiny part of the following 13-minute all-access look at the instantly likable Blue Devil that the Duke basketball creative team released on Thursday night:

The video — the first "Devilish" installment this season — also includes a tour of Proctor's dorm room, a wait in the drive-thru with three other Blue Devil rookies, a visit from current Boston Celtics star and 2016-17 Duke basketball one-and-done Jayson Tatum, a cookout at first-year head coach Jon Scheyer's house, and more.

Altogether, Proctor's seemingly sincere engagement in interviews and self-assured demeanor in front of a Duke camera — again, with the added pressure from being this year's debut "Devilish" feature — reveal an all-in Blue Devil eager to display his overseas repertoire and up-tempo motor while embracing Scheyer's vision.

Scheyer confirmed as much, dishing out high praise for Proctor on media day.

"His international experience has really served him well with knowing how to play through contact, knowing how to play with really good pace," Scheyer observed about Proctor. "And he's somebody that can score it, he can pass it, he can defend. He's really easy to play with. He's easy to coach. Off the court, he's done everything we've asked."

It sure sounds like Scheyer is impressed with Proctor, suggesting he likely foresees him earning a sizeable chunk of playing time.

"It's been great having him," Scheyer added. "And for someone that missed the summer, to get adjusted as quickly as he has is pretty remarkable. Obviously, we have big expectations as we move forward. But his ability to make others better, while also scoring and doing what he does, is a big asset for us that we have to continue to develop and help him come along just to get a feel for the college game."

On that note, the number of minutes Tyrese Proctor receives early on must depend on how fast the slick playmaker can adjust (along with other factors, such as the recovery of freshman small forward Dariq Whitehead from a foot injury).

RELATED: Detailed observations on Dariq Whitehead's status

"It's just different," Scheyer said. "And so I think that's the next transition for [Proctor], just to understand how the college game is played."

Perhaps that's where the hours spent studying supercharged Duke basketball guards as a kid will pay off.

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