Duke’s standout forward Cameron Boozer has had a challenging week after witnessing his team fall victim to a remarkable 19-point comeback by UConn during the Huskies’ Elite Eight victory on Sunday. However, not all of this week has been down for the talented freshman.
Boozer Takes Home a High Honor
With the Final Four happening this weekend, postseason awards are beginning to be announced, and the Associated Press honored Boozer with the Player of the Year Award.
“You just want to affect winning in whatever way you can,” Boozer said, per the AP.
Although it was an individual award, Boozer emphasized to the AP that it truly reflects the team’s achievements this season.
“It just goes to show more about what our team has done, just because I think that really helps awards like this, having great team success,” Boozer added.
Boozer played in 38 games this season, averaging 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. He became the fifth freshman in the history of college basketball to win the AP Player of the Year Award, joining two other Duke stars: Cooper Flagg (2025) and Zion Williamson (2019), along with Anthony Davis from Kentucky (2012) and Kevin Durant from Texas (2007).
Although the Blue Devils aren’t heading to the Final Four this season, they should take pride in the impact Boozer had on the team. Playing college basketball as a true freshman is challenging, and winning Player of the Year is truly remarkable.
Boozer would likely prefer winning a college basketball title over individual awards. Still, he had an outstanding season that is sure to put him on the radar for an NBA team looking to select him within the top five of this year’s draft.
Boozer Could be a Top Two Pick
Boozer hasn’t yet declared for this year’s NBA Draft, but there’s a good chance he will, and he should be a top-three pick. On Thursday, Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor published his mock draft, in which the Indiana Pacers select Boozer at No. 2.
“Boozer’s college career ended with a heartbreaking blown lead in the Elite 8. But after winning at every other stage of his basketball life, Boozer might quickly get back to his winning ways if he lands with a team that has Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, Ivica Zubac and a bunch of other quality talent,” O’Connor wrote.
“Boozer gets knocked for a perceived lack of upside, but he’s a do-it-all offensive talent who can post up, run pick-and-rolls, set screens, spot up and crash the boards. He doesn’t need to rely on bully ball to make an impact as a scorer or passer. Defensively, some of the questions about him popped up in Duke’s Elite 8 loss to UConn: He wasn’t big enough to defend Tarris Reed, and he got smoked by Alex Karaban on a key 3-pointer on the perimeter. But the Pacers would offer better support around him, and he’s already proven to be a high-IQ, hard-working player who will improve his weaknesses and sharpen his strengths.”
If Boozer can land with the Pacers, they could make a strong push to return to NBA title contention as soon as next season. The main reason the Pacers have struggled this season is that star guard Haliburton tore his Achilles tendon in Game 7 of last year’s NBA Finals. Teaming up Haliburton with a player like Boozer could really benefit the Pacers for years to come.
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