The 3 Players Who Will Decide Duke's March Madness Run

The Duke Blue Devils now begin their quest for a sixth national title as the No. 1 overall seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament. The Blue Devils will face 16-seed Siena in the Round of 64 on Friday. Tip-off for that matchup is slated for 2:50 pm ET.

After the official bracket came out on Sunday night, the selection committee received a good bit of flak for "awarding" Duke with arguably the toughest path to the Final Four, despite the Blue Devils earning the top overall seed.

Mar 14, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer cuts down the net after defeating the Virginia Cavaliers in the men's ACC Conference Tournament Championship at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Beyond that, the Blue Devils are dealing with key injuries, as sophomore center Patrick Ngongba and junior guard Caleb Foster, both starters, missed the entirety of the ACC Tournament with foot injuries.

Now, Duke did still win the conference tournament without them, but winning six straight games in the NCAA Tournament without two starters is an extremely difficult thing to do. Let's break down the three key guys for the Blue Devils to avoid an upset.

Cameron Boozer

Who would've guessed? The best player in college basketball matters to his team's March Madness run. Regardless of how obvious it is, it's true.

Boozer has been the most unstoppable force in college basketball this season as the runaway National Player of the Year favorite. The 6'9" forward is ninth in the nation in scoring average at 22.5 points per game to go along with 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.5 steals a game on 56.5% shooting from the floor and 40.9% from the three-point line.

Mar 14, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) goes to the basket against Virginia Cavaliers center Ugonna Onyenso (33) during the men's ACC Conference Tournament Championship at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Miami native impacts the game in literally every way possible and makes the right read almost every single time. When Boozer is at his best, Duke is nearly unstoppable. Consistent elite showings from the star rookie will pave the way for Duke's success.

Cayden Boozer

Caleb Foster is hoping to make a comeback during the NCAA Tournament, but his long-term status is still unclear. In his absence, essentially the entire backcourt load falls onto Cayden Boozer.

Boozer has played significant minutes for the Blue Devils all season, but the ACC Tournament was the first time this year that he single-handedly ran the show. He didn't disappoint.

Mar 14, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Cayden Boozer (2) goes up for a dunk against the Virginia Cavaliers during the men's ACC Conference Tournament Championship at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Across the Blue Devils' three conference tournament games en route to a title, Boozer averaged 13.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists a contest on 44.1% shooting from the floor. He was significantly better in Duke's latter two games, but he proved he can handle the load, playing all 40 minutes in the ACC Championship against Virginia.

Guards are more important in March, and with the veteran Foster out, Boozer now needs to step up in a big way to keep the Blue Devils afloat.

Maliq Brown

On a similar note to Boozer, it is unclear as of now when Ngongba will be back in the lineup. This puts the 6'9" Brown at the five spot to fill a huge defensive void left in Ngongba's absence.

Brown is the most disruptive and versatile defender in college basketball and has become a menace in the pick-and-roll in an elevated offensive role with no Ngonba on the floor. In four games without the sophomore in the lineup, Brown is averaging 6.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.0 blocks, and 2.8 steals a game.

Mar 7, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Maliq Brown (6) dunks during the second half against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Duke Blue Devils won 76-61. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Like Cameron Boozer, Brown impacts winning in practically every single way. Ngongba was an elite anchor for arguably the best defensive team in the nation, and Brown must step up to keep the Blue Devils' suffocating defense alive.