Some NBA scouts are a bit concerned when it comes to Duke Blue Devils star Cameron Boozer.
Heading into the 2025-26 college basketball season, Duke Blue Devils freshman Cameron Boozer was viewed by many as the top overall prospect in the 2026 NBA Draft class.
That has since changed.
BYU's AJ Dybantsa and Kansas' Darryn Peterson have both leapfrogged Boozer on most draft boards, and North Carolina's Caleb Wilson is also in the mix.
So what has happened to Boozer, who is averaging 22.8 points, 10.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists on 57.9/41.8/77.9 shooting splits?
Well, it's nothing that Boozer himself has done. He's been spectacular this season. But ESPN's Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst have reported that some NBA scouts are concerned that the youngster is a bit too much like his father, Carlos Boozer.
"So why isn't Boozer firmly in the mix for the top pick? Simply put, it's because he's built like his father, two-time NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer," Bontemps and Windhorst wrote. "That has left scouts and executives with questions about whether the 6-9, 250-pound Boozer has already come close to maxing out his game and whether his potential athletic limitations will limit his NBA ceiling."
Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer. Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images.Boozer is a very refined offensive player who shouldn't have many problems scoring on the professional level, and he is definitely a better shooter than his dad, who joined the NBA when floor-spacing bigs weren't as much of a thing yet.
However, there are definitely reasons to be worried about Boozer defensively. He certainly isn't a rim protector, and there are concerns in terms of his ability to guard the pick-and-roll and switch on to smaller players out on the perimeter.
That being said, some personnel people think Boozer will be just fine due to his pedigree.
"You can focus on what he doesn't have compared to the other guys in terms of athleticism or whatever, but he's a winner and he's been a winner at every level and he's won everything he's touched this year," an assistant NBA GM said, via ESPN.
Boozer definitely appears to be one of the more polarizing prospects in this year's draft class, so it will certainly be interesting to see where he lands this June.
In the meantime, Boozer is attempting to lead Duke to an NCAA championship.
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