Duke Basketball Guard Says Championship Vision Began in Texas Bathroom

As soon as the 2023-24 Duke basketball campaign ended, Tyrese Proctor and Jon Scheyer set out to cut nets together this time of year.

Duke basketball guard Tyrese Proctor | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Of the 10 Duke basketball players who played in Saturday night's 85-65 Elite Eight victory over Alabama, junior guard Tyrese Proctor and sophomore guard Caleb Foster were the only ones on the court when the 2023-24 Blue Devils saw their season come to an end, also in the Elite Eight, at the hands of the Cinderella NC State Wolfpack.

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According to Proctor, who continued his 2025 March Madness sizzle to the tune of 17 points on 7-for-10 shooting versus Alabama, he and now-third-year Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer envisioned this ride when they were in the bathroom following that deflating loss to the Wolfpack in Dallas' American Airlines Center on March 31, 2024.

"Obviously, being on a journey with Coach, a lot has changed in a year," the program's beloved, loyal Australian explained during the Blue Devils' postgame presser in the Prudential Center late Saturday night. "When we were in the bathroom last year after we lost, I told Coach I was coming back.

"We both had a vision, and 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, I had theirs, I think it just shows a lot of resiliency. And I just couldn't be more proud of our group...

"We're not done yet. We want to get a sixth [national championship] banner."

The Blue Devils, a No. 1 seed this go-round and enjoying another 15-game winning streak, are now gearing up for a return to Texas. This time, it'll be in April for their well-deserved Final Four appearance in San Antonio, beginning with a bout against either the No. 1 seed Houston Cougars or No. 2 seed Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday.

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