The last time the country saw Duke star freshman forward Cameron Boozer, he told reporters he was “hurting” after his No. 1-seeded Blue Devils lost to No. 2 UConn on an incomprehensible logo three by Braylon Mullins.
Duke exited the men’s NCAA Tournament in the Elite Eight, while UConn will play against No. 3 Illinois in the Final Four on Saturday.
While Boozer will likely feel that pain for a while, he just received news that could lessen the blow.
On Friday, Boozer and Excel Basketball jointly posted the announcement that Boozer has been named the AP men’s college basketball National Player of the Year.
According to the Associated Press, Boozer is the fifth freshman to win the award. Duke’s Cooper Flagg won it last year before becoming the No. 1 overall pick of the Dallas Mavericks in the 2025 NBA Draft last June.
Boozer earned unanimous AP All-American honors by averaging 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.4 steals across 38 games for the 35-3 Blue Devils this season. He was also named the ACC Player of the Year.
Boozer has not yet officially declared for the 2026 NBA Draft, but he is expected to be a top-3 pick. As of March 11, ESPN’s Jeremy Woo projects Boozer to go No. 3 overall.
“He excels in nearly every offensive area,” Woo wrote. “But his average explosiveness, coupled with slower defensive ground coverage, has raised questions about his ceiling. Some scouts wonder whether he can be the best player on a championship-level NBA team, or whether he’s optimally cast as a secondary star.”
If Duke’s 73-72 loss to UConn last Sunday proves to be Boozer’s last game at Duke, he went out with 27 points on 10-of-21 shooting from the field alongside eight rebounds, four assists, and two blocks in 39 minutes.
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