With Patrick Ngongba expected back for the NCAA Tournament, the biggest question facing Duke in Charlotte this week was whether freshman guard Cayden Boozer could shoulder the burden of operating the offense in place of Caleb Foster, who is expected to be out until at least the Final Four.
After a rocky performance by Boozer against Florida State in the ACC quarterfinals, Duke's ability to make a deep run without Foster looked questionable at best. But the freshman point guard stepped up in the semifinals and finals, helping lead the Blue Devils to wins over Clemson and Virginia to capture the ACC Tournament crown and solidify the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Boozer scored 16 points in both games and, against Virginia on Saturday, delivered his best all-around performance of the season. He played all 40 minutes, and added five rebounds and four assists to his 16 points as Duke knocked off the Cavaliers 74-70.
Jon Scheyer didn't mince words on Boozer's impact, praising the performance of his freshman guard.
"Honestly, I thought Cayden completely put us on his back in that first half, the job he did just running the show, scoring, defending, really do anything," Scheyer said. "To play 40 minutes against Virginia when they're pressing you the whole game was just an incredible performance, man. Incredible."
Cayden Boozer's ACC Tournament performance should inspire confidence Duke can make a run without Caleb Foster
With Cameron Boozer's unbelievable freshman season, the spotlight hasn't been on Cayden much. He's been a solid rotational piece for Duke, but hasn't lived up to the 5-star hype he arrived in Durham with.
But Scheyer and the coaching staff have had confidence all along that when it was needed, Boozer would be able to deliver for them. It was sorely needed against both Clemson and Virginia in the ACC Tournament, and he was a massive difference-maker in both wins.
"We had complete confidence that Cayden was ready to do this and to take this to the next level," Scheyer said. ..."He was born with that confidence and that competitiveness."
Boozer's performance should inspire confidence that Duke can make a run without Foster in the NCAA Tournament. The Blue Devils beat two NCAA Tournament teams in two days without him and without Ngongba.
Ngongba's projected return will be a huge boost, especially defensively. If he's not ready for the first weekend, the Blue Devils should be able to navigate it without him, but the sooner he gets back to the court, the better.
Duke showed its championship grit in Charlotte, playing competitive games and doing what it had to do to come away with victories. That will bode well for the Big Dance. So will Cayden Boozer's renewed confidence and play.