Blue Devil Success This March Hinges on One Player

Every Blue Devil fan knows about "March Jeremy." Those who don't haven't been watching postseason Duke basketball action in recent years. Jeremy Roach has shown the ability to carry the team through tough games, and history has shown a veteran guard is a must come tourney time.

Roach has been Superman enough times to have reasonable confidence he will come out of his current two-week slump. But the Duke senior captain needs help; it's so much to ask a player to be both a primary scoring option and keep the emotional boat afloat.

Enter sophomore guard and co-captain Tyrese Proctor.

The 6-foot-5 Aussie has shown flashes of brilliance across his two seasons in Durham since reclassifying to arrive in college a year early. He started this season projected as an NBA lottery pick, and when Proctor is at his best, he can be the most talented player on the floor.

However, Proctor’s performance has been considerably up and down this season, mirroring the overall play of the Blue Devils. Media and internet sources would have you believe he has regressed to a critically low level, but the numbers tell a different tale.

Diving deeper into Tyrese Proctor’s stats, though, show that his field goal percentage is 44.1 percent compared to 38.1 percent last year. That includes a notable increase in 3-point field goal percentage, going from 32.0 as a freshman to 36.5 this go-round, plus a slight bump from last year with his 10.5 points and 3.8 assists per game.

So, what's the problem? The talent and overall production are still there, yet it seems like clutch buckets and assists are too few and far between this year.

Duke needs Proctor to take over games like he did against Tennessee, albeit in a season-ending loss, in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 last year.

Injuries, including a concussion and sprained ankle, have certainly hampered the 19-year-old throughout the season, although he managed to play in all but four games. Factor in the injuries to backcourt mates Jeremy Roach and Caleb Foster, and it's understandable to see a slight change in Proctor’s development.

It's now March, though, and it’s time for the No. 4 seed Blue Devils (24-8 overall record) to forget anything that may have happened during the regular season.