Why Elite Stanford Freshman Will Test Duke

Cameron Boozer is the best freshman in the ACC, but Stanford's prized rookie might be next on the list.

Dec 30, 2025; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal guard Ebuka Okorie (1) brings the ball upcourt against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the second half at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images | Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

The Atlantic Coast Conference, and the entire nation for that matter, is filled with a plethora of elite freshman talent. In what could be the most talented rookie class in the history of college basketball, Duke prized forward Cameron Boozer headlines the group as the current National Player of the Year frontrunner.

Several other elite rookies around the sport reside in the ACC. North Carolina's Caleb Wilson, Virginia Tech's Neoklis Avdalas, Virginia's Thijs De Ridder, Louisville's Mikel Brown Jr. The list goes on and on.

Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) directs a play as Louisville Cardinals guard J'vonne Hadley (1) guards during a conference ACC game. January 6, 2026. | Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

However, the Duke basketball program will now face off against potentially the best all-around scorer in the ACC, forget freshmen, in Stanford guard Ebuka Okorie.

Originally committed to Harvard before ultimately landing with the Cardinal, Okorie was ranked outside the top-200 in the 2025 recruiting class. But it hasn't taken long for the rookie guard to take the nation by storm with his elite scoring ability.

Jan 14, 2026; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal guard Ebuka Okorie (1) looks on against the North Carolina Tar Heels in the first half at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Ebuka Okorie Might Be the Best Scorer in the ACC

Okorie is coming off a monster 36-point performance on Wednesday night in a 95-90 win for Stanford over No. 14 North Carolina (14-3, 2-2 ACC), which set the Stanford freshman single-game scoring record. The New Hampshire native also contributed nine assists and two steals in the win.

On the 2025-26 campaign, Okorie is leading the ACC in scoring at 22.9 points per game to go along with 3.3 assists and 1.5 steals on 44.5% shooting from the floor, 32.6% shooting from three, and 81.5% shooting from the free throw line. The 6' 2" guard has tallied 10 games of 20 or more points scored and four games of 30 or more through the first 16 of his collegiate career.

Ebuka Okorie TOOK OVER vs No. 14 UNC:

36 PTS
9 ASTS
12-20 FG

🥵 @StanfordMBB pic.twitter.com/Br6WZye1PF

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) January 15, 2026

The freshman isn't just putting up numbers, but also contributes to winning in so many different ways. Okorie brings hustle, defensive engagement, a passing game, as well as the ability to score in so many different ways, both on and off the ball.

Dec 20, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer coaches against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Duke Looks To Shut Down Another ACC Leading Scorer

The Blue Devils haven't been perfect defensively through league play, but they've shut down several of the ACC's most prolific scoring guards when necessary.

In the team's 84-73 win at No. 20 Louisville (12-5, 2-3 ACC) on Jan. 6, Duke shut down lead guard Ryan Conwell, who is averaging 19.5 points on the year, to eight points on 0-of-4 shooting from three in the second half after the senior put up 16 points on 4-of-7 (57.1%) shooting from three in the first. Duke entered the halftime locker room of that game 47-38 and went on to win by double digits.

People keep saying Ebuka Okorie is one of the best freshman in the country when they should be talking about how he’s one of the best PLAYERS in the country

— Bo McNally (@BoMcNally) January 15, 2026

In Wednesday night's 71-56 win over California (13-5, 1-4 ACC), the Blue Devils limited Dai Dai Ames to eight points on 3-of-11 (27.3%) shooting from the field after Ames entered the game averaging over 17 points.

After Okorie's 22.9 point-per-game average, Stanford's next leading scorer is forward Chisom Okpara at 13.9 points per game. The Cardinal have only eclipsed 75 points twice through their five conference games, so containing Okorie will obviously be the main priority for Duke on Saturday night.

Caught up w/ the Curry bros after the dub 📸 pic.twitter.com/JT875splIC

— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) January 15, 2026

Duke (16-1, 5-0 ACC) faces Stanford (14-4, 3-2 ACC) on Jan. 17 at 6:00 pm ET.

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