Cameron Boozer is cementing his status as a potential top pick for the upcoming 2026 NBA Draft. The forward left his mark on two preseason games won by the Duke Blue Devils last week.
Duke defeated both UCF and Tennessee in exhibition games
Boozer played his first exhibition game against the University of Central Florida on Oct. 21. He helped the team achieve a 96-71 victory and impressed fans and experts alike. Boozer scored 33 points, including 4-for-7 shooting from beyond the arc and recorded 12 rebounds and four assists.
Duke head coach Jon Scheyer referred to Boozer as a “warrior”: “I think that’s the best thing I can say about him. He’s a warrior, competitor, and obviously, he impacted the game in a lot of different ways, including getting fouled and getting us to the bonus early,” he told the university. “I thought he had such a professional approach. I was happy that he had to play through some extended minutes with the lack of depth with Maliq [Brown] being out. He’s just a big-time winner.”
Boozer, who is nearly 7 feet tall and weighs 250 pounds, said physicality was his main asset.
“[I was] just playing through physicality, playing off two feet, strong pickups,” he told the Duke Chronicle.
On Sunday, Boozer helped his team win another game. Duke won 83-76 against Tennessee; it was the first exhibition meeting between the two programs. The basketball player scored 24 points, recorded 23 rebounds, six assists and two blocks, according to On3 reporter Joe Tipton.
Cameron Boozer is now expected to be the top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft
Although Boozer will have to keep performing in the upcoming season, he is expected to replace Cooper Flagg as the No. 1 pick prospect in the next draft, according to Sports Illustrated. Duke will be opening the season against Texas on Nov. 4.
“Boozer is positionally considered a power forward, though he is very well built and has a sturdy frame that will allow him to play as an undersized center at 6-foot-9,” Sports Illustrated’s scouting report on Boozer indicated. “At the same time, he has intriguing perimeter skills, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see him slide into a combo forward role or even play alongside two other frontcourt players, essentially functioning more as a wing.”
Fans are excited to see Boozer perform in the upcoming season: “Cam Boozer is going to be the best and most reliable player in college basketball this year ! I’ve said he’s the best player in his class since I seen him at the peach jam back in summer 2024 and he hasn’t disappointed!” someone tweeted.
“Cam Boozer. Number 1 pick,” another person tweeted.
For the 2025-26 season, Boozer was named preseason ACC rookie of the year and preseason first team all-ACC selection, according to Duke basketball. He announced his commitment to Duke alongside his brother Cayden in fall 2024. The brothers are the sons of NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer.