The Associated Press has released its Preseason All-America Team, and a different top freshman was put on the list than the Blue Devil faithful wanted to see. Duke basketball freshman phenom Cameron Boozer was totally snubbed as an AP Preseason All-American despite heading into his freshman campaign with the Blue Devils regarded as potentially the best player in all of College Basketball. BYU's AJ Dybantsa was the only rookie to make the team, with Boozer and Kansas' Darryn Peterson being left in the dust. These three freshmen are entering the 2025-26 season regarded as the consensus top three selections in the 2026 NBA Draft, and some networks even have Boozer as the top overall pick. First, Boozer was snubbed as the ACC Preseason Player of the Year, and now he's been left off the most coveted preseason list the sport has to offer.
Cameron Boozer left off AP Preseason All-America Team
The AP Preseason All-America Team features just one rookie, but it wasn't the Blue Devils' star who made the cut.
AP Preseason All-America Team
G Braden Smith - Purdue
F JT Toppin - Texas Tech
F Yaxel Lendeborg - Michigan
F AJ Dybantsa - BYU
F Alex Condon - Florida
It was a big-man oriented squad, but Purdue's Smith made the team unanimously,
Boozer enters his freshman season in Durham with potentially the most decorated resume in the history of high school basketball. Cameron, along with twin brother and fellow Duke rookie Cayden, won four straight state championships at Columbus (FL), were two-time Gold Medalists for the United States at both the FIBA U16 Americas Championship and the FIBA U17 Americas Championship, delivered a Chipotle Boys National Championship as seniors, and won three consecutive Nike EYBL Peach Jam Championships with Nightrydas Elite from 2022 and 2024.
Aside from the team accolades, Cameron Boozer also set records individually. He became the first player since LeBron James to win Mr. USA Basketball twice and the fourth player to win Gatorade Boys National Player of the Year twice, joining Brandon Knight, Greg Oden, and James.
The 6'9" forward can do practically everything offensively while being able to guard the one through four and initiate the offense in transition. This season, Duke will go as far as Boozer takes it, and now he has an added chip on his shoulder after being left off the AP Preseason All-America Team.