Duke Blue Devils guard Cayden Boozer has received a prediction regarding his NBA Draft decision following the team's meltdown against the UConn Huskies.
Cayden Boozer certainly wasn't the sole reason why the Duke Blue Devils lost to the UConn Huskies in the Elite 8 over the weekend, but his inexplicable turnover which led to UConn's game-winning three-pointer is what stands out from the affair.
It ended what was an overall topsy-turvy freshman season for Boozer, who started 11 of his 38 games and averaged 7.7 points, three assists and 2.3 rebounds over 22.8 minutes per game on 50.0/30.3/81.3 shooting splits.
The shame of it all is that Boozer actually played pretty well against the Huskies as a whole, posting 15 points, six assists and five rebounds while shooting 4-of-5 from the floor. He buried three three-pointers.
So, is Boozer headed to the NBA Draft like his twin brother, Cameron? Or will he be returning to Duke for another season?
Chip Alexander of The News & Observer seems to believe that the lesser-known Boozer is staying put.
"Cayden Boozer has said it will be 'weird' playing without his twin brother next season and one would think he will remain at Duke," Alexander wrote.
Duke Blue Devils guard Cayden Boozer. Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images.There is no question that Boozer's game could use some more polish, but in a modern era where incredibly raw players frequently leave college early, it would not be a complete shock if the floor general decided to take his talents to the NBA.
It does seem more likely, though, that Boozer will ultimately decide to spend another year with the Blue Devils to further hone his skills.
The general expectation is that Duke will have three players selected in the first round of the draft this June: Cameron Boozer, Isaiah Evans and Patrick Ngongba, although there has been some debate as to whether or not Ngongba will actually declare (chances are, he will).
If Cayden makes the decision to head to the pros, he would probably be a second-round pick. He has decent size, is a capable defender and possesses a high basketball IQ that should translate well into the NBA.
However, Boozer is not typically considered to have a very high ceiling, so he projects to be a decent rotational piece and not a whole lot more.
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