Duke deserving of more buzz? Cameron Boozer believes so.
Boozer, the next five-star prospect who could lead the Blue Devils to the Final Four, told ESPN on Wednesday his team has been “overlooked” this offseason.
Boozer, the son of former Duke and NBA standout Carlos Boozer, will join his twin brother Cayden, also a five-star prospect, and a fleet of veterans who will try to help coach Jon Scheyer win his first national championship.
A reloaded Duke squad has not been widely viewed as a preseason Final Four candidate, which Boozer said is an oversight of a team that has all the pieces to win the title.
“I think we have a special group,” said Boozer, the reigning Gatorade National Player of the Year. “I think we’re very overlooked right now, but once the season starts, that’ll change for sure … I think just playing together, playing hard, defending, competing, we’re going to be in a spot to get [to the Final Four] just like they did last year.”
Duke, which lost to Houston in the Final Four after a thrilling rally by the Cougars in the final minutes, has been included in every reputable preseason top-25 poll. But the Blue Devils lost three first-round picks and five players overall to the 2025 NBA draft.
As a result, they could enter the 2025-26 season ranked outside the top 10 in the Associated Press preseason poll for the first time since the 2007-08 season, when the team debuted at 13th.
Boozer is in Los Angeles this week with Gatorade as part of the Gatorade Player of the Year Awards and the ESPYs. He said the trip has helped him connect with other top athletes who’ve excelled in other sports.
Last year, Cooper Flagg earned Gatorade National Player of the Year honors before leading Duke to the Final Four and becoming the No. 1 pick in the draft.
Boozer said Duke’s loss in San Antonio was heartbreaking.
“I was definitely shocked when it happened and kind of the way it happened for sure,” Boozer told ESPN. “I don’t think anyone really expected that to happen in that last minute, but it was crazy to watch. And then once the game ended, we knew that it was going to be on us now to get the team back there, so it made me excited, at the same time feeling sad, but also just super excited for the season and what’s to come.”
So far, the Blue Devils have built chemistry and grown during their time together with Boozer as their new young leader. One source close to the program said Boozer most resembles Paolo Banchero, who led Duke to the Final Four in 2022 and recently signed a maximum rookie contract extension with the Orlando Magic.
Boozer said Duke has a chip on its shoulder after feeling like it has not earned the preseason acknowledgement it deserves.
“We have a huge chip because we know that we have the talent and the team to be the best team in the country, and I generally feel like we will be the best team in the country,” Boozer said. “So that puts a huge chip on us that people are overlooking us saying that we’re not the team we were last year and everything like that. I feel like everyone will see that once the season comes, but we’re not too worried about stuff like that.”
