Blue Devil Country

ACC Awards Headline Cameron Boozer Again

Cameron Boozer took home more hardware this week.
Hugh Straine|
Jan 10, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) reacts during the second half against the Southern Methodist Mustangs at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images
Jan 10, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) reacts during the second half against the Southern Methodist Mustangs at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

After the Duke basketball program (15-1, 4-0 ACC) picked up two ranked victories over the past week on the road against No. 20 Louisville (12-4, 2-2 ACC) and at Cameron Indoor Stadium against then-No. 24 SMU (12-4, 1-2 ACC), freshman sensation and National Player of the Year frontrunner Cameron Boozer picked up another weekly ACC award.

The 6'9" big man put together two more dominant outings in ranked games for the Blue Devils, although the team's reliance on the freshman to generate offense was much less of a factor, which is a very encouraging long-term sign for Duke.

booze
Jan 6, 2026; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) charges into Louisville Cardinals forward Khani Rooths (9) during the second half at KFC Yum! Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images | Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

In an 84-73 victory over the Cardinals on Jan. 6 at the KFC Yum! Center, Boozer went for a game-high 27 points to go along with eight rebounds, four assists, and two steals on 10-of-12 (83.3%) shooting from the field and 3-of-4 (75%) shooting from three-point range.

In an 82-75 win over the Mustangs in Durham on Jan. 10, Boozer tallied 18 points, seven rebounds, and four assists on 5-of-9 (55.6%) shooting from the floor and 2-of-4 (50%) shooting from beyond the arc. Boozer now has nine games of 20 or more points scored and seven double-doubles.

Duke’s Boozer Notches ACC Rookie of the Week Once Again

As a result, Duke's prized freshman was awarded the ACC Rookie of the Week Award. This was Boozer's sixth week earning the conference's freshman of the week award, and his second in a row.

The Miami native has been so elite to start his college basketball career that his 18-point outing against the Mustangs almost felt like a bad game for the potential No. 1 overall 2026 NBA Draft choice. That was Boozer's third game since Dec. 2 totaling under 20 points.

Nonetheless, Boozer remains cemented as the best player in the country, and the numbers he's putting up are being backed up by consistent Duke wins. Jon Scheyer tweaked the lineup against SMU, implementing Maliq Brown into the starting lineup in place of Patrick Ngongba, as Duke's defense has looked subpar over its last several games.

The defense still has a ways to go, as the Blue Devils allowed SMU to shoot 57% from the field overall and 50% from three, but there were some positives on that side of the ball, as Duke forced a season-high 21 turnovers for Andy Enfield's squad that led to 21 Blue Devil points.

What's also been improving, and what is likely more important, is that Boozer is getting more help on the offensive side of the ball as of late. Isaiah Evans has scored 20 points or more in each of his last three games, and Duke tallied 34 bench points in the win over SMU.

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Hugh Straine
HUGH STRAINE

Hugh Straine is an accomplished writer and proud Bucknell University alumnus, holding a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing. He has served as editor of The Bucknellian, worked as an analyst for ESPN+ and Hulu, and currently reports on college sports as a general reporter for On SI.