Duke’s Cameron Boozer Wins 2026 Naismith Men’s College Player of the Year Award

Duke star Cameron Boozer added another major accolade after putting together a stellar freshman season.

Days after being named the Associated Press Player of the Year, Boozer became the 10th Blue Devils player to win the Naismith Men’s College Player of the Year award.

The expectations for the 6’9″ forward couldn’t have been much higher. The son of two-time NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer, he followed his dad by enrolling at Duke. He even surpassed his father as a prep player, claiming the No. 3 position in 247Sports’ composite rankings.

Boozer arguably exceeded the hype. He averaged 22.5 points on 55.6 percent shooting, including 39.1 percent from beyond the arc. He also led the ACC in rebounding (10.2) and dished out a team-high 4.1 assists per game.

Larry Bird in 1976-77 was the last men’s freshman or sophomore to average 20/10/4.

Michigan coach Dusty May watched Boozer notch a double-double (18 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists) in Duke’s 68-63 win over the Wolverines on Feb. 21. He came away impressed by the player’s determination on the floor.

“There’s no agenda other than figuring out a way to win,” May told the AP’s Aaron Beard. “I’ve seen him play a number of times this year where there’s six guys in the paint, and it’s not as if he’s jumping 40, 50 inches off the floor. His desire to rebound the ball, to set physical screens, to play to his advantages, is as impressive as any freshman that I can recall.”

Consistency was a hallmark of Boozer’s season. He scored 20-plus points in 23 games and never finished in single digits, and he had double-doubles in 22 of his 38 appearances.

General managers in the NBA have taken notice, and Boozer is a lock to be a top-five pick in the 2026 draft.

Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman projects him to go third overall behind BYU’s AJ Dybantsa and Kansas’ Darryn Peterson.

“The 18-year-old with two FIBA MVPs and Gold Medals, four high school state championships and three EYBL Peach Jam titles could have led Duke to a national championship, and there will still be evaluators who’ll worry that he’ll lack the height or athleticism to continue creating advantages in the NBA,” Wasserman said.

“But there’s also a bandwagon of Boozer believers who simply buy the results, intangibles, in-game problem-solving and expanding versatility with his ball-handling and shooting. Though it’s going to take a specific general manager for him to go No. 1, No. 3 still does seem like a worst-case outcome.”

As a freshman, Boozer didn’t quite capture the imagine like Zion Williamson or Cooper Flagg did before him with the Blue Devils. But the numbers speak for themselves.