Duke Basketball Guard Cayden Boozer Setting Sights on New Feat

Following the No. 2-ranked Duke basketball team's 90-47 home win over the unranked SIU Edwardsville Cougars on Friday night to bounce back from Tuesday night's 79-73 loss to the No. 5 Michigan State Spartans at the Champions Classic, freshman big man Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje jokingly asked sophomore guard Cayden Boozer if he's "leaving the passing behind" since he was fresh off recording his first points-rebounds double-double as a Blue Devil.

"No," the 19-year-old Boozer responded. "Triple-double soon. I don't know when, but soon."

triple double loading? pic.twitter.com/4EemzWsMHT
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) November 14, 2026

Boozer, who has been Duke's starting point guard throughout the 3-1 start and also one of the deeply talented 2026-27 Blue Devils' most consistent performers while logging between 20 and 22 minutes in each of the squad's contests, finished the victory over SIUE with 11 points, 10 boards, four assists, and one steal. He shot 3-for-7 from the field, 1-for-3 from three, and 4-for-4 at the foul line.

"You know, I'm just trying to be like 'Cam Booze' — the greatest," Cayden Boozer joked in the locker room when Duke Blue Devils On SI asked if he was trying to mimic his twin brother and former Duke basketball forward with his points-rebounds double-double. "Honestly, I didn't even realize until...well, I knew the rebounds, but I didn't realize the points. I'm just trying to rebound. You know, we talk a lot about guard rebounding.

"Obviously, it was important for today, but it's going to be important for Tuesday [versus Illinois] as well, so I hope I can get more 10-rebound games."

Just over week earlier in Duke's 113-52 home win over the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers, Boozer recorded a points-assists double-double with 11 and 12, respectively. In other words, albeit with a different version each time, the 6-foot-4, 195-pound Miami native has produced a double-double in half of the Blue Devils' regular season outings thus far.

Duke Basketball Head Coach Jon Scheyer on Cayden Boozer's Latest Effort

"I thought Cayden had a really good response, you know, double-double in points and rebounds," Scheyer commented in his postgame press conference on Friday night, as Boozer had posted only six points, three rebounds, and two assist against Michigan State. "He's had two double-doubles: point and assists and, now, points and rebounds.

"I think the point of emphasis from the Michigan State game was just our guards in having to do what we call the '98 percent' — but the defensive rebounding, the protecting the basket, fighting through ball screens...I thought Cayden had great effort tonight in doing those things. That's what you need your lead guard to carry the day in those areas. I thought he just had great focus in attacking that way, and then scoring and shooting, all that stuff with him, is going to come."

Last season, primarily coming off the bench for a team that won 35 games, captured the ACC Tournament crown, and reached the Elite Eight, Boozer averaged 7.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists. This go-round, he is now averaging 9.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.5 steals.

Boozer and the rest of the Blue Devils are now preparing for a big-time test in Cameron Indoor Stadium. They host the No. 3 Illinois Fighting Illini at 7 p.m. ET Tuesday (ESPN).

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