Freshman forward Cameron Boozer enters Duke's program as the No. 3 player in his high school class and the top power forward.

Boozer has lofty expectations and is expected to be a top-five selection in the 2026 NBA Draft. 

Duke head coach Jon Scheyer compared Boozer to a former Blue Devil star.

“He’s like Paolo from a body perspective," Scheyer said. "There’s differences in their game for sure, but Paolo when he stepped on the floor he always knocked people back with how big he was. I think Cam has the ability to do the same thing. He’s always been the biggest guy on the floor and now he gets a chance to play with Pat (Ngongba) and Maliq (Brown) where he’s not going to be the biggest guy. I think that’s a huge advantage for him, using his size and then having the ball skills of a guard.”

This is major praise for Boozer, as Banchero had a great season with the Blue Devils and has only improved in the NBA with the Orlando Magic.

Banchero was a one-and-done player, averaging 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. He shot 47.8 percent from the field and 33.8 percent from three. Banchero was a Consensus All-American and won the ACC Rookie of the Year award.

He went on to be the number one overall pick by the Magic and has developed into a star, earning his first All-Star nod in the 2024-25 season.

If Boozer can impact the game close to the same level as Banchero, Duke is poised for a deep run in March. Just a season ago, the Blue Devils had another talented freshman forward with lofty expectations in Cooper Flagg. 

Flagg lived up to the hype, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game. He shot 48.1 percent from the floor and 38.5 percent from behind the arc.

Flagg was named the AP Player of the Year and went on to be drafted by the Dallas Mavericks with the number one overall pick in the draft.

Duke consistently lands major talents and helps them elevate their game, including Cameron's father, Carlos Boozer.

Cameron is following in his father's footsteps and the freshman stars before him, like Banchero and Flagg, but he will look to carve his own path and establish himself as one of the best players in the country.