Duke has now produced back-to-back freshman Wooden Award winners. Cameron Boozer claimed the 2026 honor Friday, joining Cooper Flagg, Zion Williamson, Anthony Davis, and Kevin Durant as the only freshmen to win college basketball's top individual prize in nearly 50 years.
Boozer's case was hard to argue against. The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 22.5 points and 10.2 rebounds, recorded double-doubles in 22 of his 38 games, and shot 39.1% from three. He swept the ACC's major awards, Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and tournament MVP, and added the Naismith, AP, and NABC player of the year honors to the Wooden.
The individual haul matched Duke's team results. The Blue Devils won the ACC regular-season and tournament titles and entered the NCAA tournament as the No. 1 overall seed.
The season still ended without a Final Four. Duke lost to UConn 73-72 on a buzzer-beater in the Elite Eight, a result that puts the run in an uncomfortable frame: historically dominant individual production, a statement season, and still no championship banner to show for it.
Boozer is projected as a top-three NBA draft pick.