Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus #7 UConn on March 29, 2026 , Loss , 72, to, 73
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Final
Men's Basketball
72
vs #7 UConn
73
Photo by: Duke Athletics
Boozer Named National Player, Freshman of the Year by CollegeInsider.com
4/2/2026 12:46:00 PM | Men's Basketball
INDIANAPOLIS – Duke freshman forward Cameron Boozer has been named the recipient of both the 2026 Lute Olson National Player of the Year Award and the 2026 Kyle Macy National Freshman of the Year Award, as announced by CollegeInsider.com.
Boozer becomes just the second player to sweep both honors in the same season, joining former Duke Blue Devil Cooper Flagg (2025). He is also the seventh Blue Devil to earn the Kyle Macy Award, further cementing Duke's tradition of elite freshman performance.
Boozer finished the season ranked ninth nationally in scoring at 22.5 points per game and 13th in rebounding at 10.2 per game, while shooting 55.6% from the field. The 6-foot-9 freshman also averaged 4.1 assists per game, becoming the first rookie to post at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and four assists per contest since Larry Bird in 1976-77.
"In one of the best freshmen classes in history, Cameron Boozer was head and shoulders above the rest," said Angela Lento, Vice President of CollegeInsider, Inc. "The statistics are impressive, but his penchant for making winning plays and doing whatever the team needs to be successful are what make him the best player in college basketball."
Boozer's collegiate career opened with a historic stretch. Through his first five games, he totaled 108 points, 52 rebounds and 23 assists, becoming the first ACC player to reach 100 points, 50 rebounds and 20 assists in a five-game span since 2006. In his fourth game, he recorded 35 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, three steals and three blocks against Indiana State (Nov. 14), becoming the first major-conference freshman to post at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists with one or fewer turnovers since Carmelo Anthony in 2003. He added another 35-point effort against Arkansas (Nov. 27), becoming the first Duke freshman to score 35 or more twice in a season.
Over the course of the season, Boozer compiled one of the most complete statistical campaigns in recent college basketball history. He is the only Division I player in the last 30 years to record at least 700 points, 300 rebounds and 100 assists while shooting better than 50% from the field in a single regular season. He also posted 22 double-doubles, including 15 games with at least 20 points.
Boozer recorded at least 13 points, five rebounds and two assists in all 38 games, the longest such streak by any Division I player this century. He reached 300 points, 150 rebounds and 50 assists in just 16 games — the second-fastest mark this century.
A 10-time ACC Rookie of the Week selection, Boozer also became just the fifth player in league history to earn both ACC Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year in the same season, joining Flagg, Zion Williamson, Marvin Bagley III and Jahlil Okafor.
The Lute Olson Award is presented annually to the nation's top Division I player and is named in honor of Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson, who won 776 games and led Arizona to the 1997 national championship. The Kyle Macy Award recognizes the top freshman in Division I and is named for the former Purdue and Kentucky standout.
With the sweep, Boozer adds to a historic freshman campaign that places him among the most decorated first-year players in Duke and ACC history.
To stay up to date with Blue Devils men's basketball, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeMBB".
#GoDuke
Boozer becomes just the second player to sweep both honors in the same season, joining former Duke Blue Devil Cooper Flagg (2025). He is also the seventh Blue Devil to earn the Kyle Macy Award, further cementing Duke's tradition of elite freshman performance.
Boozer finished the season ranked ninth nationally in scoring at 22.5 points per game and 13th in rebounding at 10.2 per game, while shooting 55.6% from the field. The 6-foot-9 freshman also averaged 4.1 assists per game, becoming the first rookie to post at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and four assists per contest since Larry Bird in 1976-77.
"In one of the best freshmen classes in history, Cameron Boozer was head and shoulders above the rest," said Angela Lento, Vice President of CollegeInsider, Inc. "The statistics are impressive, but his penchant for making winning plays and doing whatever the team needs to be successful are what make him the best player in college basketball."
Boozer's collegiate career opened with a historic stretch. Through his first five games, he totaled 108 points, 52 rebounds and 23 assists, becoming the first ACC player to reach 100 points, 50 rebounds and 20 assists in a five-game span since 2006. In his fourth game, he recorded 35 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, three steals and three blocks against Indiana State (Nov. 14), becoming the first major-conference freshman to post at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists with one or fewer turnovers since Carmelo Anthony in 2003. He added another 35-point effort against Arkansas (Nov. 27), becoming the first Duke freshman to score 35 or more twice in a season.
Over the course of the season, Boozer compiled one of the most complete statistical campaigns in recent college basketball history. He is the only Division I player in the last 30 years to record at least 700 points, 300 rebounds and 100 assists while shooting better than 50% from the field in a single regular season. He also posted 22 double-doubles, including 15 games with at least 20 points.
Boozer recorded at least 13 points, five rebounds and two assists in all 38 games, the longest such streak by any Division I player this century. He reached 300 points, 150 rebounds and 50 assists in just 16 games — the second-fastest mark this century.
A 10-time ACC Rookie of the Week selection, Boozer also became just the fifth player in league history to earn both ACC Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year in the same season, joining Flagg, Zion Williamson, Marvin Bagley III and Jahlil Okafor.
The Lute Olson Award is presented annually to the nation's top Division I player and is named in honor of Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson, who won 776 games and led Arizona to the 1997 national championship. The Kyle Macy Award recognizes the top freshman in Division I and is named for the former Purdue and Kentucky standout.
With the sweep, Boozer adds to a historic freshman campaign that places him among the most decorated first-year players in Duke and ACC history.
To stay up to date with Blue Devils men's basketball, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeMBB".
#GoDuke
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