Blue Devil Country

Duke Freshmen Dominate Preseason ACC Top 10

Numerous Duke freshman have made their way into this preseason ACC Top 10.
Jordon Lawrenz|
Duke forward Cameron Boozer (12) and guard/forward Nikolas Khamenia (14) celebrate during a college basketball exhibition game against Tennessee and Duke on October 26, 2025, in Knoxville, Tenn.
Duke forward Cameron Boozer (12) and guard/forward Nikolas Khamenia (14) celebrate during a college basketball exhibition game against Tennessee and Duke on October 26, 2025, in Knoxville, Tenn. | Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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When looking at the Top 10 freshmen in the ACC, Duke has three players who made the list. To no surprise, Cameron Boozer tops the chart at No. 1. North Carolina's Caleb Wilson being No. 5 was quite the surprise as the list was met with controversy.

Ultimately, Cameron's brother, Cayden, did not crack the Top 10. Knowing there were three Blue Devils on this list, many would've expected him to be ranked. Instead, Dame Sarr and Nikolas Khamenia found their way onto the list.

1. Cameron Boozer

To no surprise, Boozer was named the No. 1 freshman in the ACC by The Field of 68 Media Network. Boozer was followed by Louisville's Mikel Brown Jr., Virginia Tech's Neoklis Avdalas, and Virginia's Thijs De Ridder before Wilson found himself at No. 5.

Regardless, Boozer deserves every bit of this ranking. He's been beyond dominant in the Blue Devils' exhibition games already, having just posted a 20-20 game against Tennessee.

Boozer has already begun to take the world by storm, so one can only imagine what he'll do in the regular season when the lights shine the brightest.

7. Dame Sarr

The No. 6 Blue Devils have a few international players on their roster, Sarr being one of them. Senior Ifeanyi Ufochukwu is from Benin City, Nigeria, while Sarr is from Oderzo, Italy.

Sarr may not end up scoring a lot of points for the Blue Devils this season, but head coach Jon Scheyer knew what he was capable of on defense. Sarr has a very specific role carved out for him, and it's one that is only going to make the entire team better as well.

In the team's exhibition games, his defense was on full display. Sarr played for FC Barcelona and has represented the Italian National Team, bringing tons of experience to the floor as only a freshman.

10. Nikolas Khamenia

The last Duke freshman to crack the Top 10 is the 6'8'' 215-pound freshman. Khamenia was named a McDonald's All-American early this year. He's been committed to Duke for just over a year now, as it's finally time for the Los Angeles, CA, native to shine.

Khamenia, a four-star prospect, dropped 14 points in his first exhibition game with the team. While he was nowhere near the 33 that Boozer put up, Scheyer knows that Khamenia is another essential depth player on this team. On any given night, Khamenia could get hot and be an absolute difference maker for the Blue Devils.

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Jordon Lawrenz
JORDON LAWRENZ

Jordon Lawrenz serves as the Eastern United States College Recruiting beat writer On SI. Jordon is an accomplished writer covering the NFL, MLB, and college football/basketball. He has contributed to PFSN’s and Heavy’s NFL coverage. Having graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay with a Sports Communication and Journalism degree, Jordon fully embraced the sports writing lifestyle upon his relocation to Florida.