Duke’s Boozer Running Away With NPOY Award

This year, Boozer is third in the nation in scoring at 23.5 points per game to go along with 9.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.8 steals on 57.9% shooting from the field and 37% shooting from three-point range. He leads the Blue Devils in every major statistical category, excluding blocks.

Duke sits with a 7-1 record against ranked opponents this season, and Boozer is the biggest reason why. There have been several occasions where the star rookie has single-handedly carried the Blue Devils offensively down the stretch in marquee matchups.

In the Blue Devils' eight games against ranked foes, Boozer is averaging 23.4 points and 9.3 rebounds. He went for 35 points in a win over Arkansas, 29 points in a win over Florida, and 27 points in a win at Louisville (14-6, 4-4 ACC).

At this point in the season, it's nearly impossible to even mention a debate for any player to take home the National Player of the Year award other than Boozer. The Miami native has tallied 12 games of 20 or more points scored, four games of 30 or more points scored, 10 double-doubles, and hasn't shot under 50% from the floor in a single conference game.

What the Computers Say

Duke also had the National Player of the Year winner on its roster last season in Cooper Flagg, and the computer numbers between the two are pretty similar.

According to KenPom's National Player of the Year algorithm, Boozer is way ahead of the pack with a rating of 2.712. Flagg ended his lone season with the Blue Devils with a rating of 2.734.

However, when comparing who was competing with Boozer and Flagg for the award, it shows there's no competition this time around.

It was a two-man race for much of the 2024-25 campaign between Flagg and Auburn forward Johni Broome. While Flagg's KenPom NPOY rating was 2.734, Broome's was 2.317, making it a fairly close battle.

With Boozer, it's entirely different. The next man up, according to KenPom, is Iowa State's Joshua Jefferson with a rating of 1.820, nearly a full point differential.

If Boozer remains consistent, no one is touching him for National Player of the Year honors.

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