It has been a historic season for freshmen across college basketball. From BYU's AJ Dybantsa to Kansas's Darryn Peterson to Arkansas's Darius Acuff Jr., elite first-year players have made their mark from coast to coast.
None has been better or more impactful to winning than Duke's Cam Boozer, who has more than lived up to the hype he arrived in Durham with as a 5-star prospect and NBA/Duke legacy.
Boozer is the runaway favorite to win the Wooden Award as the National Player of the Year. He solidified that standing with a strong performance in Duke's neutral site win over then-No. 1 Michigan on Saturday. The star freshman scored 18 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and dished out 7 assists to lift the Blue Devils to victory.
Boozer is averaging a double-double on the season at 22.6 points and 10.0 rebounds per game while dishing out 4 assists a night. He's done that on high efficiency on offense, while also making a major impact on the defensive end of the floor.
He's the best player in the country.
Here's another wild stat to prove it:
Per DukeMBBStats on X, Boozer has recorded at least 14 points, five rebounds, and two assists in all 27 games this season. He's the only player this century to accomplish that. And for those of us who are getting a little long in the tooth, this century has carried on for longer than we would care to admit.
Cam Boozer has recorded at least 14 points, five rebounds and two assists in all 27 games this season, the longest such streak by any player at any point in a Division I career this century.
— #DukeMBBStats (@DukeMBBStats) February 24, 2026
Cam Boozer is having a historic season for the Duke Blue Devils
After beating Michigan on Saturday, Duke is well-positioned to earn the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. That's where they are currently, according to ESPN's Joe Lunardi, and barring anything unforeseen, that's likely where they will end up.
Boozer is the tip of the spear for the Blue Devils. The latest in a ridiculous line of freshman stars to come through Durham over the last decade and a half.
But regardless of how well he has played up to this point, his legacy will be carved out in March. If he wants to stand among the all-time greats in Duke basketball history, he'll have to deliver in the NCAA Tournament.
Ending the 11-year national championship drought - the longest for the program since Mike Krzyzewski delivered the first title in 1991 - would solidify his spot.