NBA News NBA News, Match Reports and Updates
Cameron Boozer’s fantastic freshman season has earned him the Naismith Award for college basketball’s men’s player of the year.
The Duke forward was given the award on Sunday after he averaged 22.5 points and 10.2 rebounds a game in 2025-26. Duke narrowly missed out on advancing to the Final Four after UConn stunned the Blue Devils 73-72 in the Elite Eight.
“I’m incredibly honored to receive the Naismith Player of the Year Award,” Boozer said in a statement. “When you think about the history of this award and all the great players who’ve been recognized before, it really puts things in perspective. It’s something I don’t take lightly. This game has given me so much, and I’ve been lucky to be surrounded by amazing teammates, coaches, and a family that’s supported me every step of the way. They’ve challenged me, believed in me, and helped me grow not just as a player, but as a person. I know I still have a long way to go, and this recognition just motivates me to keep working and do everything I can to keep improving every day.”
Boozer’s strong season powered Duke to the ACC regular season and tournament titles along with the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament. He scored at least 30 points on four different occasions and shot nearly 56% from the field.
Advertisement
In Duke’s season-ending loss to the Huskies, Boozer scored 27 points and had 8 rebounds and 4 assists.
Though he hasn’t officially made his NBA Draft decision, Boozer is considered a likely top-five pick in what should be a stellar draft class. Boozer was the No. 3 recruit in the high school class of 2025 behind BYU’s AJ Dybantsa and Kansas’ Darryn Peterson.
He chose Duke along with his twin brother Cayden, a four-star prospect. The two picked Duke, where their father starred for three seasons from 1999 through 2002 before he was a second-round pick of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2002 NBA Draft.
Cameron Boozer shot over 50% from the field in 27 of Duke’s 38 games in…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/breaking-news/article/dukes-cameron-boozer-wins-mens-naismith-award-for-player-of-the-year-182852695.html
Author : Nick Bromberg
Publish date : 2026-04-05 18:28:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
