Cameron Williams comes to Duke with big shoes to fill. He is expected to replace Cameron Boozer as the star power forward on the Blue Devils' roster. This rapid riser throughout the recruiting process comes to Durham with so much upside. Fortunately for him, he is going to a place where front-court stars are developed rather easily. He will be rewarded by putting his trust and faith into Jon Scheyer.
It is why ESPN's Jeff Borzello spoke so highly about him in his latest post about five-star prospects.
"Williams possesses one of the highest ceilings in the 2026 class, given his 6-foot-11 size and rapidly expanding skill set, which includes a consistent 3-point shot," Borzello wrote. "Although Duke's roster will look dramatically different than it does now, we would expect Williams to step in and replace Cameron Boozer at the power forward position next season."
Borzello then went on to say Williams plays a different game than Boozer, as well as Cooper Flagg.
"Much like Boozer is a completely different prospect than Cooper Flagg, Williams will not be a do-everything, high-usage producer like Boozer," Borzello continued. "Williams is more of a two-way contributor who should be a consistent scorer and shotmaker as a freshman."
To be frank, Williams is not the prospect that Boozer and Flagg became. Flagg went No. 1 overall to Dallas for a reason. He has the potential to be a top-10 player in the NBA with his star power. Boozer went No. 3 only a few weeks ago to Memphis, as his all-around game makes him one of the safest prospects entering the league. Williams will need more refinement, but he offers length and precision.
Since Scheyer handled coaching Flagg and Boozer so marvelously, Williams could be a piece of cake.
Jon Scheyer will have Cameron Williams firing on all cylinders in March
Being a five-star freshman coming in is never easy. However, some programs are better at handling said players than others. Duke is at the top of the list. While Scheyer has started to venture into the transfer portal a bit, whether it be with John Blackwell or Drew Scharnowski, he knows where his bread is buttered. It is with developing elite five-star prospects in the front-court such as Williams.
While Flagg could go down as the greatest player Scheyer may ever coach, just like Boozer will be remembered as being the most selfless, Williams having so much room to grow could be Scheyer's greatest project. This played a part in why Williams decided to come play at Duke. He trust Scheyer's plan. He wants to be developed. So many other teams wanted Williams, but he believes in the vision.
The good news for Scheyer, Williams, and the rest of Duke is this year's squad appears to be more menacing than last season's. Depth was a major issue for Duke down the stretch, playing a part in the Blue Devils coming up short of reaching the Final Four. By being a stronger team across the board, it should allow Scheyer to gradually work Williams into the fold, carefully allocating his minutes early on.
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Ultimately, Scheyer is quickly becoming a head coach who star front-court players want to gravitate to. Having guys like Flagg and Boozer become top-three picks after playing for him speaks volumes. Look at how much promise Patrick Ngongba II has coming into this season. The same principle applies to Scharnowski coming over from Belmont. Williams seems to like what he sees in Scheyer.
If anyone is going to get the most out of Williams' awesome talent, is the head coach leading Duke.
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