A quarter century after Carlos Boozer and Jay Williams led Duke to the 2001 NCAA championship, the Blue Devils once again proved that some programs don’t rebuild—they reload. On Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, the two Duke legends reunited, with Williams on the ESPN set and Boozer in the stands watching a new generation: his twin sons, Cameron and Cayden, two of the latest stars fueling Duke’s next chase for college basketball supremacy.
College basketball may have evolved dramatically in 25 years—NIL deals, the transfer portal and the NBA’s constant pull—but Duke’s presence among the sport’s giants remains unchanged. Losing three top-10 NBA Draft picks (and the entire starting lineup) would cripple most programs. Duke absorbed it and came back stronger. Their 78–66 victory over Kansas in the Champions Classic reinforced what has become an annual truth: no matter who leaves, Duke reloads with talent ready to shine immediately.
The Blue Devils, now 5–0, sit fifth in the AP Poll but are ranked No. 1 by advanced analytics experts Ken Pomeroy and Evan Miyakawa. And the scary part for the rest of college basketball? Inside the locker room, the Blue Devils believe they’re nowhere near their ceiling.
“I think the room for us to grow is as big as any team in the country,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said after Tuesday’s win. He wasn’t exaggerating.
Scheyer continues to experiment with lineups, studying combinations and seeking rhythm, but this is a luxury problem. Duke is deep. Duke is skilled. And Duke is big—everywhere. The starting lineup features two freshmen, Cameron Boozer and Dame Sarr, alongside returning contributors Caleb Foster, Patrick Ngongba, and Isaiah Evans. Scheyer’s rotation runs nine deep, and every role player is capable of delivering a significant stretch of minutes.
Cameron Boozer, though, is the engine. The 6-foot-9 freshman forward is picking up exactly where last year’s superstar Cooper Flagg left off. Boozer leads the team in points (21.6), rebounds (10.2), assists (4.4), and blocks (1.4). He is also No. 1 in KenPom’s National Player of the Year standings—just like Flagg was before becoming the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft. On Tuesday, Boozer posted 18 points, 10 boards, and five assists, with three crucial late-game finishes that kept Kansas at arm’s length.
And yet, his coach believes there’s another level coming.
“I still don’t even think he played incredible,” Scheyer said, smiling. “That’s the thing that’s really exciting.”
MSG pressure? National spotlight? Elite opponent? None of it fazed Boozer—not surprising for someone who dominated the EYBL circuit and won four straight high school state championships. But equally impressive was his twin brother.
Cayden Boozer came off the bench to score seven points on 3-of-5 shooting with three assists in 24 poised minutes. He played the final seven minutes alongside Foster, a look Scheyer rarely uses but one that proved effective against Kansas’ length and athleticism. The Blue Devils committed just two turnovers in the second half—none from the point guards.
“I think these guys have done a great job playing for each other,” Scheyer said. “Cayden did a great job. Caleb made some big-time plays.”
The rest of Duke’s rotation is equally imposing. Senior Maliq Brown brings veteran toughness, guard Darren Harris adds shooting, and freshman Nikolas Khamenia gives Scheyer another versatile, physical presence. At 6-foot-4, Cayden Boozer is the smallest player in the rotation. That size advantage causes matchup nightmares, similar to last season when Duke featured five players between 6-5 and 7-2—three of whom became top-10 draft picks.
Duke went 35–4 last year, won the ACC regular season and tournament titles, and reached the Final Four before a stunning collapse against Houston. Replicating that dominance will be challenging, but early wins over Texas and Kansas show the Blue Devils remain a national contender—perhaps even a title favorite.
It’s also worth noting that Kansas was missing their star freshman Darryn Peterson, a projected top pick in next year’s draft. Still, the Blue Devils controlled the game with composure, depth, and balance—traits that suggest their potential is far from realized.
A challenging non-conference slate awaits, including matchups with No. 21 Arkansas on Thanksgiving, No. 10 Florida on Dec. 2, No. 17 Michigan State on Dec. 6, and No. 15 Texas Tech on Dec. 20. By then, Scheyer should have a clear vision of his best rotations and how this group fits together.
But even now, one thing is obvious: Duke is not a program cycling through eras or identities. Duke is a machine. With elite recruiting, experienced coaching, and a blend of youthful star power and veteran steadiness, the Blue Devils are positioned for another Final Four run—and perhaps more.
If Tuesday night was any indication, this season is only beginning to reveal just how good Duke can become.
