Cayden Boozer Emerging From His Twin's Shadow

Last season, Duke came so close to playing for another national championship. All five starters came off the board in the NBA Draft quickly. However, there was one spot that gave the Blue Devils trouble.

Jon Scheyer's team lacked a true point guard. Sion James took over the role a month into the 2024-25 season, but floundered in the tournament. His turnover with seconds to go against Houston in the Final Four helped the Cougars mount the comeback that ended Duke's season.

Nov 14, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer directs his team during the first half against the Indiana State Sycamores at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Duke has historically never struggled to find a capable point guard with both scoring and passing abilities. Facilitating and passing are key from the point in this Duke offense, with weapons like Cameron Boozer and Isaiah Evans readily available.

Nov 21, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) drives to the basket as Niagara Purple Eagles forward Justin Hawkins (0) defends during the first half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Caleb Foster has held the role so far this season, but one Duke freshman, who has stayed under the radar for the most part, is blossoming early on.

Cayden Boozer

Cameron's twin brother, Cayden, has progressed and found more success with each passing game. The four-star guard has taken a backseat to his brother in the spotlight, with Cameron being a projected top pick in the upcoming NBA Draft and a candidate for several awards.

Now, Cayden is finding his groove running the point off the bench. Through six games, Boozer is averaging eight points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.2 steals. Boozer turned in his best performance as a Blue Devil so far in a win against Niagara, dropping 11 points and two assists in 17 minutes off the bench.

Nov 14, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) is greeted by teammates after scoring during the second half against the Indiana State Sycamores at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Boozer also drilled three triples in the game, which has not been a big part of his game this season. He had been just 2-of-8 from long range this season before the game. The sudden shooting surge could be a sign of growth and things to come.

17 dimes on 22 FGM tonight 👿

All 9 guys w/ minutes for us have at least 1 assist pic.twitter.com/A63wpuYhZz
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) November 22, 2025

"There's definitely a difference from high school," Boozer said. "The line's a little bit further. But also, the shots I got were just really good shots. My teammates got me really wide-open looks, and obviously, I feel like I'm a really good shooter. I haven't started the year strong, but I know the shots are going to fall eventually."

Nov 18, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Cayden Boozer (2) reacts after a basket during the second half against the Kansas Jayhawks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The bigger part of Boozer's game, however, is his ability to dish the ball to open teammates and set up scores. That's something Duke has desperately needed from the point guard position in recent years: a pure distributor.

The last time Duke had a player average at least five assists per game was Tre Jones, who had 6.4 assists per game during the 2019-20 season. Since then, the Blue Devils have had a big man lead the team in assists twice (Wendell Moore Jr. and Cooper Flagg), and Cameron Boozer currently leads in assists with four per game.

Nov 14, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer (right) talks to guard Cayden Boozer (2) during the first half against the Indiana State Sycamores at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Cayden had three sweet dimes against Kansas that showed his potential to possibly break that streak. Foster has played enough to this point, but Boozer is starting to earn more playing time off the bench. He also had eight assists in Duke's visit to West Point in a win over Army.

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