Barring something completely unexpected, Duke is going to have back-to-back Wooden Award winners for the National Player of the Year. Despite losing last year's winner (Cooper Flagg), along with two additional Top 10 picks in the draft - and two second-rounders to boot - the Blue Devils haven't missed a beat a year later.
That's in large part due to Cameron Boozer, the next in a long line of Duke superstar freshmen. Boozer has led the charge for the Blue Devils to get to 27-2 overall, and they clinched at least a share of the ACC regular season title with Saturday's blowout win over Virginia.
Replacing a generational talent like Flagg is pretty much impossible. And somehow, Jon Scheyer did just that by bringing in a second straight generational talent in Boozer, who has arguably been even better than Flagg.
"Cooper Flagg was one of the 3 or 4 best one-and-done players that we've ever seen, and Cameron Boozer is BETTER," CBS Sports' Matt Norlander said on Saturday.
The numbers bear it out.
Boozer: 22.5 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.6 BPG 58/80/78 shooting splits - 20.3 BPM
Flagg: 19.2 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.4 SPG, 1.4 BPG 48/38/84 shooting splits - 16.3 BPM
Cooper Flagg and Cameron Boozer in back-to-back years is special for Duke fans
Norlander isn't wrong if you look at the stats. Boozer is having an all-around better season than Flagg did a year ago, which is crazy to see. But Duke fans won't get caught up in debates about which player is better. They're just happy to have had both.
Having players this special in back-to-back seasons is a rare thing. It's not often generational talents arrive in the same place one year apart, and that's not something the Durham faithful will take for granted.
Ultimately, Boozer's place in Duke history will be decided a month from now. Successful seasons at Duke aren't measured in the regular-season; rather, in the NCAA Tournament and with national championships.
If Boozer can lead Duke to its first national championship in 11 years, he'll be on the shortlist for best individual seasons in the history of the program.