Duke's Boozer named Naismith Men's Player of the Year

Duke star Cameron Boozer has been named the 2026 Naismith Men's College Player of the Year.

The 6-foot-9 forward beat out fellow finalists Darius Acuff Jr. (Arkansas), AJ Dybantsa (BYU), and Yaxel Lendeborg (Michigan).

Boozer gives the Blue Devils consecutive freshman winners after Cooper Flagg won the award before going first overall in the 2025 NBA draft. Boozer is one of three players believed to be in the mix for this year's top selection, joining Dybantsa and Kansas guard Darryn Peterson.

He's the 10th men's player in school history to win the Naismith Trophy.

Boozer, 18, started 38 games for the Blue Devils, topping the team in scoring (22.5 points) and leading the Atlantic Coast Conference with 10.2 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-9 forward posted 55.6/39.1/78.9 shooting splits and was also named the Associated Press Player of the Year.