Cameron Boozer's biggest competition for No. 1 pick finally arrived on a huge stage

As the Duke Blue Devils have dominated the start of the college basketball season, true freshman Cameron Boozer has been an undeniable star.

Over the first 10 games, Boozer has only garnered more and more attention, especially as he has led the Blue Devils in nearly every single stat column possible (points, rebounds, assists, and steals per game).

However, while Boozer has been the go-to guy for everyone's projected No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, another collegiate star is starting to close the gap.

AJ Dybantsa finally showed his star power vs. Clemson

When BYU's star freshman AJ Dybantsa and the No. 10 Cougars took on the Clemson Tigers, the young forward put on an absolute show.

Dybantsa racked up a resounding 28 points, nine rebounds, and six assists, leading the BYU Cougars to their 67-64 win over the Tigers. Yes, you read that correctly, he scored nearly 42 percent of the Cougars' total points in the matchup.

Finally, Dybansta has lived up to the hype he received ahead of the 2025-26 season (which was similar to the hype Boozer received before he ever played a second for the Blue Devils).

Throughout the season, Dybantsa has averaged 20.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, and three assists per game. Comparatively, Boozer has averaged 23 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.7 steals, and one block per game.

In every single stat column, Boozer has outworked and outperformed Dybantsa, earning him that spot as the projected No. 1 overall draft pick. However, Dybantsa's performance against Clemson was exactly what he needed to kick-start his campaign to usurp Boozer.

As the Cougars prepare to face the UC Riverside Highlanders, Boozer and the Blue Devils are set to face another powerhouse program toward the end of December (after playing against Lipscomb): the No. 16 Texas Tech Red Raiders.