Despite a tough tournament exit, Duke secures Cayden Boozer's return. The promising guard will develop his game and embrace a bigger role in 2025-26.
Duke didn't have any hope of retaining Cameron Boozer after the NCAA Tournament spring.
Boozer is expected to be one of the top picks in the 2026 NBA Draft after a special freshman season with the Blue Devils.
Duke won the ACC regular season championship, ACC Tournament, and earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.
The Blue Devils blew a 19-point lead against UConn in the Elite Eight. A late turnover by Cayden Boozer allowed the Huskies to hit a game-winning three-point shot to send Duke home before reaching the Final Four for a second year in a row.
Cayden doesn't appear ready to test the NBA waters this offseason.
Per an announcement by Duke on Thursday, Cayden will return to the program for a second season in 2026-27.
Cayden played in 38 contests for Duke in his freshman season and started in 11 games. He averaged 7.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in 22.8 minutes per game on the court for the Blue Devils.
Duke turned to Cayden for more playing time when point guard Caleb Foster suffered an injury before the ACC Tournament.
Before Duke's win over Virginia in the ACC Tournament, head coach Jon Scheyer suggested he saw promise in the way Cayden progressed throughout his first season with the program.
"I just want to tell him just how much I believe in him," Scheyer said. "And to handle different things that are thrown your way as a freshman, you haven't seen everything."
"I just want to help prepare him for what other teams can do. But his toughness, his mental toughness, is not something you can teach. He had that on his own."
In his second season, the Blue Devils will expect Cayden to play a larger role for the team. Duke is expected to reload its roster and compete for another long run in the NCAA Tournament for the 2026-27 campaign.
It'll be interesting to see how Cayden progresses in Year 2. He was often unfairly compared to Cameron as a freshman from some fans.
Cayden is a talented player in his own right, and he could develop into a bigger star next season.