Boozer vs. Foster: Battle for Duke's Starting PG Spot

Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer and his staff will enter the 2026-27 college basketball season with what is likely the deepest and most championship-ready group Scheyer has had since he took over at the helm in Durham.

The Blue Devils boast depth at every position on the floor, and Scheyer can legitimately go 10 or 11 deep if he wants to.

Now, what a luxury of depth creates is inevitable battles for minutes. With only so many to go around, there is bound to be several elite talents who don't receive the time on the court they were hoping for.

The most intriguing position battle heading into the 2026-27 campaign for Duke is who will start alongside John Blackwell in the backcourt. Rising senior Caleb Foster and rising sophomore Cayden Boozer will both return to the Blue Devils next season, and it will be one of the two starting at the one.

Both have a legitimate case to earn the role. Let's break down Foster's and Boozer's case to start.

The Case for Caleb Foster

I would personally be very surprised if Foster is not the starting point guard, given his experience and impact on winning the senior possesses. This would give the Blue Devils two seniors starting in the backcourt, with one who thrives with the ball in his hands and another to facilitate the offense.

The 6'5" North Carolina native put together a massive bounce-back junior year after practically falling out of the rotation as a sophomore, tallying career-highs in points per game (8.3), rebounds per game (3.5), assists per game (2.8), and field goal percentage (44.7), while shooting nearly 40% from three on three attempts a night.

Foster and Boozer possess similar skillsets, but Foster's sheer experience with Duke in the postseason is what gives him the edge, in my opinion.

The Case for Cayden Boozer

Boozer and Foster were on the floor together a good amount of time, but the rookie didn't have a chance to solely run the offense until Foster went down with an injury for the ACC Tournament and the early part of the NCAA Tournament. When Boozer was handed the keys to the offense, he was fantastic.

In the five games Foster missed in the postseason, Boozer averaged 13.4 points and 3.4 rebounds a contest while tallying 16 assists to nine turnovers. He also played over 35 minutes in four of those games.

Similar to Foster, Boozer won't normally fill up the stat sheet, but can initiate the offense, pass at a high level, and defend multiple positions at 6'4".

When it comes down to it, Foster's experience pushes him a little ahead of Boozer.

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