Duke's Boozer Makes His Case as Top NBA Draft Prospect

Duke basketball freshman star Cameron Boozer just put together one of the most dominant seasons in recent college basketball memory.

The 6'9" forward averaged 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.4 steals a game on 55.6% shooting from the field and 39.1% shooting from three-point range. Boozer tallied 22 double-doubles on the year and didn't score less than 13 points in a single game.

Mar 29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) rebounds against the UConn Huskies during an Elite Eight game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Boozer's Consistent Dominance Has To Translate to NBA

Simply put, Boozer was unstoppable. The Blue Devils faced arguably the toughest schedule of any team in college basketball, and Boozer went up against some of the best defensive frontcourts in the sport, but it just didn't matter.

The star freshman came into college basketball as one of the most decorated high school prospects of all-time. He and twin brother Cayden won four state championships and a Chipotle Boys National Championship as seniors. Cameron was a two-time Gatorade Boys National Player of the Year and a two-time Mr. Basketball USA honoree.

Apr 4, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer is awarded the Oscar Robertson Player of the Year Award. Pictured with Boozer are (left) Matt Norlander of the US Basketball Writers Association and (right) Barry Bedlan of the Associated Press. The award is given by the AP and the UWA during the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

That dominance translated instantly to the college level, and Boozer maintained that excellence throughout the course of the entire season.

Boozer was recently awarded the AP National Player of the Year award, as he was the runaway favorite for the honor all season long. According to KenPom's National Player of the Year algorithm, Boozer ended the season with a rating of 2.951, the highest rating ever in that metric.

Mar 29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) shoots the ball over UConn Huskies guard Silas Demary Jr. (2) in the second half during an Elite Eight game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The player in the No. 2 spot in that algorithm was Iowa State's Joshua Jefferson, with a rating of 1.759, making the margin between Boozer at No. 1 and Jefferson at No. 2 a whopping 1.192. The Margin between Jefferson and Vanderbilt's Tyler Tanner at the No. 10 spot is a margin of 0.257.

Mar 29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) talks to Blue Devils center Patrick Ngongba (21) during a stoppage in play against the UConn Huskies in the second half during an Elite Eight game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Boozer Makes Case as Top Draft Prospect

Boozer has been a consensus top-three 2026 NBA Draft prospect all season, but despite being by far the best player in the sport, he has yet to surpass Kansas freshman Darryn Peterson and BYU freshman AJ Dybantsa on most draft boards.

Both Peterson and Dybantsa likely have higher NBA ceilings and project as generational scoring talents. Peterson, a 6'6" guard, averaged 20.2 points a contest on 43.8% shooting from the field and 38.2% from three. Dybantsa, a 6'9" wing, led the nation in scoring at 25.5 points per game.

Mar 19, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; BYU Cougars forward AJ Dybantsa (3) dunks in the second half against the Texas Longhorns during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Boozer is probably the safest pick in this draft class, and he made his case as to why he deserves to be considered a top prospect.

"I think I'm just a winning player, all-around player," Boozer said. "I think I impact the game in so many different ways. And I think my competitiveness translates to any level. I think any team who takes a chance on me is going to be very happy with the results they get from it."

Mar 22, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Darryn Peterson (22) controls the ball against St. John's Red Storm guard Oziyah Sellers (4) in the second half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Boozer was the best scorer, passer, rebounder, and arguably defender on a team that earned a 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament. He might not be as flashy as Dybantsa or Peterson, but his sheer consistency has to be considered by NBA general managers.