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Duke Basketball Signee Silences 'Overrated' Chants
St. Mary’s forward Cameron Williams (1) dunks against Deer Valley during the 4A State Championship at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix on March 6, 2025. Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"Overrated" chants from opposing crowds just come with the territory of being a future Duke basketball player. As with many former Blue Devil signees, St. Mary's Catholic High School (Ariz.) forward Cameron Williams appears to have a knack for embracing a surge in haters on the road.

On Tuesday night, the 7-foot-1, 210-pound warmed up to the tune of it from the Cactus Shadows High School student section before leading his visiting Knights to a 67-49 victory over the previously unbeaten Falcons.

Ballislife posted the following highlight package, drawing attention to the chants and Williams' crown-hushing performance for the defending state champions:

A towering force down low with a vast array of perimeter skills to boot, Williams has been making the game look easy this season. That includes back-to-back outings with 30 points or more to kickstart the campaign. St. Mary's now boasts a 5-0 record.

At No. 4 overall, No. 1 among power forwards, and No. 1 in Arizona on the 247Sports 2026 Composite, Cameron Williams is Duke's highest-ranked commit in the cycle. Fourth-year Blue Devil head coach Jon Scheyer and his staff, enjoying yet another top five haul, have also reeled in signatures from Heritage High School (Texas) five-star small forward Bryson Howard and IMG Academy (Fla.) four-star center Maxime Meyer.

Why Cameron Williams Decided to Join the 2026 Duke Basketball Recruiting Class:

  • "Coach Scheyer was cool, normal, and authentic in what he said and did," Williams noted after making his Duke basketball pledge official during the early signing period in November. "He gets along well with his players. My family felt the same.
  • "The energy in Cameron [Indoor Stadium] was crazy, and it truly shows how much support the basketball team has from everyone. Duke has everything I need to develop. They laid out a detailed plan for how I would fit. I can't wait to get started there."

The projected one-and-done lottery pick will arrive in the summer. And chances are Williams will face massive expectations, as Blue Devil freshman power forward Cameron Boozer, the current starting forward and centerpiece talent in Durham, will likely be gearing up for the 2025 NBA Draft and leaving behind a starting spot that Williams appears penciled in to fill.

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This article first appeared on Duke Blue Devils on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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