Duke’s Cayden Boozer returning for sophomore season after gut-wrenching mistake in final seconds of NCAA tournament loss

Duke University point guard Cayden Boozer will return for his sophomore season, according to the team.

Boozer starred down the stretch for the Duke men’s basketball team but a costly turnover led to UConn’s Brayden Mullins hitting a buzzer-beater to eliminate the Blue Devils in the Elite Eight.

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Boozer spent most of his freshman year as a reserve, playing in the shadow of his twin brother Cameron, who was the Naismith Player of the Year and a first-team All-American. The Boozer twins are the sons of former Blue Devil and NBA player Carlos Boozer.

Cayden Boozer emerged late in the season after Duke’s starting point guard, Caleb Foster, went down with a foot fracture before the ACC tournament. Boozer played nearly every minute and scored 16 points in back-to-back games in the ACC semifinal and championship.

He also scored a career-high 19 points in the first round of the NCAA tournament against Siena, helping the team mount a comeback after a slow first half to avoid an embarrassing loss.

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With Cameron Boozer expected to declare for the NBA Draft, and Maliq Brown, Nikolas Khamenia and Darren Harris all leaving the program, either due to exhausting their eligibility or entering the transfer portal, the roster is set for changes. Isaiah Evans, Patrick Ngongba and Dame Sarr have also not yet made decisions on whether to return or enter the NBA Draft.

With Foster still undecided on whether he will return for his senior season and the team bringing in five-star point guard Deron Rippey Jr., it is unclear what Cayden Boozer’s role will look like next season. What Duke does know is that it will have another year with a Boozer on the roster.

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/breaking-news/article/dukes-cayden-boozer-returning-for-sophomore-season-after-gut-wrenching-mistake-in-final-seconds-of-ncaa-tournament-loss-163726573.html

Author : Tarohn Finley

Publish date : 2026-04-16 16:37:00

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