Duke freshman Cameron Boozer was named the Associated Press National Player of the Year on Friday, capping an all-time freshman season that cemented his place among college basketball’s great one-and-done performers.
He received 59 of 61 votes from AP Top 25 poll voters, edging out BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, who got the remaining two. It’s the fifth time a freshman has won the award and the second straight year a Duke player has taken it. Duke is the first program to produce back-to-back freshman AP Players of the Year.
Boozer’s dominance was undeniable. He averaged 22.5 points per game, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists while posting a team-high 22 double-doubles to tie for the national lead.
Duke rolled to 35 wins, spent time at No. 1 in the AP poll, and reached the Elite Eight before falling last weekend in disappointing fashion to UConn.
Last season, fellow freshman Cooper Flagg claimed the same AP honor after leading Duke to the Final Four with a transcendent blend of defense, playmaking, and scoring.
Flagg became just the fourth freshman ever to win the award, joining legends Kevin Durant (2007), Anthony Davis (2012), and Duke’s own Zion Williamson (2019). Now Boozer joins that exclusive club as the fifth, and together the duo has rewritten the narrative of what a modern freshman can achieve under head coach Jon Scheyer.
This back-to-back freshman sweep under Scheyer, first Flagg and now Boozer, signals a pipeline of generational talent flowing through Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Boozer deflected praise toward his teammates and coaching staff, a humility that mirrors the program’s culture.
Now, one of the more fascinating questions of all is how his game will translate to the NBA. While as talented as he is, many of critique him as not traditionally athletic.
That might be true, but there’s no question. He has a skill set and work ethic that could no question. Translate and help an NBA team win at the highest level.
Cameron Boozer wins National Player of the Year, coming out on top of one of the most skilled freshman classes we’ve seen in a very long time.