Duke's Cameron Boozer Still Mocked High Despite Controversy

Cameron Boozer had a spectacular freshman season at Duke, and the numbers back up every bit of the hype that surrounded him coming in.

Following Cooper Flagg's national player of the year campaign that carried the Blue Devils to a Final Four, Boozer faced enormous expectations as the next cornerstone of Jon Scheyer's program. He met every one of them. As a true freshman, Boozer led Duke in scoring at 22.5 points per game, rebounding at 10.2 per game, and assists at 4.1 per game, a statistical profile that is nearly unmatched for a first-year player in the modern era of college basketball.

The individual honors followed accordingly. Boozer was named ACC Rookie of the Year, ACC Player of the Year, and National Player of the Year, adding First Team All-American recognition to a trophy case that few freshmen in the history of the sport could match.

While Boozer did not lead Duke to a Final Four, the Blue Devils came agonizingly close. As the overall number one seed in the NCAA Tournament, Duke was one shot away from reaching the national semifinals before their run ended. The result was disappointing, but it did nothing to diminish what Boozer accomplished over the course of the season.

What the Word Is Around Boozer

With a season of that caliber behind him, declaring for the NBA Draft was never really a question. The only discussion worth having was where Boozer would land. He is widely considered one of the top three prospects in this year's draft class, and following the NBA Draft Lottery, the consensus has settled around him as the third-best player available.

Both ESPN and CBS Sports project Boozer going third overall to the Memphis Grizzlies, who hold the third pick after the lottery results were announced.

Adam Finkelstein of CBS Sports highlighted the combination of physical tools and basketball intelligence that make Boozer such a coveted prospect at the next level. Finkelstein noted that while questions may exist about whether his creation ability and upside match the top two prospects in the class, his floor as a player is the highest of anyone available in this draft.

He also pointed to the fit in Memphis alongside Zach Edey and Cedric Coward as an ideal situation, suggesting the Grizzlies would have their frontcourt of the future locked in from the moment Boozer steps on the court.

ESPN's Jeremy Woo had a similar assessment, pointing to Boozer's physicality and his capacity to be a foundational piece for a franchise. Woo noted that Boozer largely carried Duke throughout the season on his way to sweeping the player of the year awards and nearly delivering a Final Four berth.

While Woo acknowledged that limited vertical lift could place a ceiling on some of his upside down the road, he made clear that Boozer's consistent results make that concern difficult to dwell on.

What This Means for Duke

Boozer's departure continues a remarkable run for the Duke program under Scheyer. Back-to-back freshmen winning the National Player of the Year award is an achievement that speaks as much to the program's recruiting ability as it does to its player development. Scheyer has now shown that Duke can not only attract the best players in the country but also put them in a position to succeed at the highest level from the moment they arrive in Durham.

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