NBA Draft: Duke, Cameron Boozer Take Down St. John’s

On Friday evening, the top-seeded Duke Blue Devils faced off against the fifth-seeded St. John’s Red Storm, trotting out two of the best bigs in college basketball in the process.

Ultimately, Cameron Boozer and Duke would outlast a white-hot St. John’s squad and Zuby Ejiofor, 78-75.

Neither big shot particularly well, though both were among the most impactful players for their teams.

Boozer scored 22 points on 7-for-16 shooting, failing to hit a three but adding eight free throws nine seven tries. Overall, he stuck to his do-it-all nature, adding 10 important rebounds, three assists and a block.

Ejiofor trailed just behind production wise, adding 17 points on 17 shots, hitting two of five triples and adding eight rebounds, six assists to zero turnovers and a steal and block apiece.

All night long they battled inside and out, with both able to stretch to the perimeter and guard as well. Both have been highly efficientt this season, though the general length spread across both teams, which included Ruben Prey, Patrick Ngongba II and Maliq Brown, all of which provided tough defense.

AND PREY FOLLOWS IT UP BY SWATTING CAM BOOZER 😳 pic.twitter.com/K9lrq7njjE
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 28, 2026

With just a few minutes remaining, Boozer would give his squad the advantage with a defensive rebound and subsequent and-1, powering through the defense and finishing the layup. He would eventually put the Blue Devils up what would be an insurmountable four points, which Duke would later extend.

Ejiofor would respond with a rare 3-pointer a few possessions later.

Up three points, Boozer would miss a crucial free throw, and Ejiofor would respond with his own vital miss. The Red Storm would have a chance to tie it with seconds remaining, but Duke would hold on.

Boozer is certain to be among the top prospects at the 2026 NBA Draft, having put together one of the best true freshman seasons we’ve seen in college basketball history. He averaged 22.4 points, 10.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 56% overall, leading Duke to just two regular-season losses.

While his stiffer athleticism could see him drafted as low as No. 3, there’s little question his production and immediate winning impact are going to catch the eyes of NBA scouts and decision-makers. For any teams in need of an immediate frontcourt infusion, they’ll consider him as high as No. 1.

Ejiofor is projected to be a late-first or early-second round pick, though he’s likely done enough in the NCAA Tournament to cement the former.

Not to go unmentioned in the game was potential first-rounder Isaiah Evans, a slender wing who scored a game-high 25 points on 10-for-15 shooting, hitting four of his eight attempted triples on the night.

Duke will now advance to face the winner of Michigan State and UConn in the Elite Eight.