Cameron Boozer’s stellar freshman season earned him the Naismith Memorial Basketball Men’s Player of the Year Award.
The Duke forward received the award on Sunday after averaging 22.5 points and 10.2 rebounds per game in 2025-26. Duke narrowly missed a chance to advance to the Final Four after UConn defeated the Blue Devils 73-72 in the Elite Eight.
“I am extremely honored to receive the Naismith Player of the Year Award,” Boozer said in a statement. “When you think back on the history of this award and all the great players that have been recognized before, it really puts things in perspective. It’s something I don’t take lightly. This game has given me a lot and I’m blessed to be surrounded by great teammates, coaches and a family that supports me every step of the way. They’ve challenged me, believed in me, and helped me grow, not only as a player, but as a person. I know I still have a long way to go, and this recognition only inspires me to keep working and doing the best I can and keep improving every day.”
Boozer’s strong season helped Duke win the ACC regular season and tournament championships and become the top seed in the NCAA tournament. He scored at least 30 points four times and shot nearly 56% from the field.
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In Duke’s final loss to the Huskies, Boozer scored 27 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
Although Boozer has not officially made his NBA draft decision, he is considered a likely top-five pick, which should be an excellent draft class. Boozer is the No. 3 prospect in the 2025 high school class behind BYU’s AJ Dybantsa and Kansas’ Darin Peterson.
He chose Duke and his twin brother Caiden, a four-star prospect. The two chose Duke, where their father played three seasons from 1999 to 2002 before being selected in the second round by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2002 NBA draft.
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Cameron Boozer shot over 50% from the field in 27 of Duke’s 38 games in the 2025-26 season. With early-season wins over Kansas State, Arkansas, Florida State and Michigan State, Boozer immediately established himself as college basketball’s best player, taking a lot of the drama out of the Player of the Year discussion.
Boozer scored 35 points on 13-of-18 shooting in a November win over Arkansas, then had 18 points and 15 rebounds in a 66-60 victory over Michigan State on Dec. 6.
He was equally good in ACC play. Boozer had 24 points and 11 rebounds in Duke’s only loss of the season to North Carolina. When the Tar Heels came to Duke to end the regular season, Boozer had 26 points on 10-for-17 shooting and 15 rebounds in what was likely his final game at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Along with Boozer, Arizona State coach Tommy Lloyd was named the Naismith Coach of the Year and Florida’s Ruben Chinyelu was named the Defensive Player of the Year. Lloyd’s award comes a day after his Wildcats were eliminated by Michigan in the Final Four, and the Wolverines advanced to UConn in the national championship game on Monday night.
