5-star Boozer: Duke 'overlooked,' but not for long

Duke deserving of much buzz? Cameron Boozer believes so.

Boozer, the adjacent five-star imaginable who could pb the Blue Devils to the Final Four, told ESPN connected Wednesday his squad has been "overlooked" this offseason.

Boozer, the lad of erstwhile Duke and NBA standout Carlos Boozer, volition articulation his duplicate member Cayden, besides a five-star prospect, and a fleet of veterans who volition effort to assistance manager Jon Scheyer triumph his archetypal nationalist championship.

A reloaded Duke squad has not been wide viewed arsenic a preseason Final Four candidate, which Boozer said is an oversight of a squad that has each the pieces to triumph the title.

"I deliberation we person a peculiar group," said Boozer, the reigning Gatorade National Player of the Year. "I deliberation we're precise overlooked close now, but erstwhile the play starts, that'll alteration for definite ... I deliberation conscionable playing together, playing hard, defending, competing, we're going to beryllium successful a spot to get [to the Final Four] conscionable similar they did past year."

Duke, which mislaid to Houston successful the Final Four aft a thrilling rally by the Cougars successful the last minutes, has been included successful each reputable preseason top-25 poll. But the Blue Devils mislaid 3 first-round picks and 5 players wide to the 2025 NBA draft.

As a result, they could participate the 2025-26 play ranked extracurricular the apical 10 successful the Associated Press preseason canvass for the archetypal clip since the 2007-08 season, erstwhile the squad debuted astatine 13th.

Boozer is successful Los Angeles this week with Gatorade arsenic portion of the Gatorade Player of the Year Awards and the ESPYs. He said the travel has helped him link with different apical athletes who've excelled successful different sports.

Last year, Cooper Flagg earned Gatorade National Player of the Year honors earlier starring Duke to the Final Four and becoming the No. 1 prime successful the draft.

Boozer said Duke's nonaccomplishment successful San Antonio was heartbreaking.

"I was decidedly shocked erstwhile it happened and benignant of the mode it happened for sure," Boozer told ESPN. "I don't deliberation anyone truly expected that to hap successful that past minute, but it was brainsick to watch. And past erstwhile the crippled ended, we knew that it was going to beryllium connected america present to get the squad backmost there, truthful it made maine excited, astatine the aforesaid clip feeling sad, but besides conscionable ace excited for the play and what's to come."

So far, the Blue Devils person built chemistry and grown during their clip unneurotic with Boozer arsenic their caller young leader. One root adjacent to the programme said Boozer astir resembles Paolo Banchero, who led Duke to the Final Four successful 2022 and precocious signed a maximum rookie declaration extension with the Orlando Magic.

Boozer said Duke has a spot connected its enarthrosis aft feeling similar it has not earned the preseason acknowledgement it deserves.

"We person a immense spot due to the fact that we cognize that we person the endowment and the squad to beryllium the champion squad successful the country, and I mostly consciousness similar we volition beryllium the champion squad successful the country," Boozer said. "So that puts a immense spot connected america that radical are overlooking america saying that we're not the squad we were past twelvemonth and everything similar that. I consciousness similar everyone volition spot that erstwhile the play comes, but we're not excessively disquieted astir worldly similar that."