Apr 5, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer looks on during the second half in the semifinals of the men's Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Freshman Rebounder at Duke Could Make National Impact

Originally posted on Duke Blue Devils on SI
By Logan Brown | Last updated Oct 30, 2025 2:00 PM ET

We are less than a week away from Duke opening up a new season in Charlotte against Texas, and Jon Scheyer's group already looks like a force to be reckoned with.

The Blue Devils played a pair of exhibition contests against Power 4 foes, hosting the Big 12's UCF and visiting SEC power Tennessee. Scheyer's team overcame a sluggish first half in both games before pulling away in the final 20 minutes on the backs of their talented freshmen.

Scheyer recruited the top class in the nation for the 2025-26 season, led by brothers Cameron and Cayden Boozer, alongside stars such as Nikolas Khamenia, Dame Sarr, and many more.

Through two games on the floor before the regular season tips off, Duke's top freshman in the class has made waves around the country, scoring at an impressive rate, while also cleaning up on the glass.

Cameron Boozer has ripped down 35 rebounds combined in Duke's two exhibition games so far. Against physical and experienced teams like UCF and Tennessee, it's a shocking feat.

Boozer had 23 rebounds against the Volunteers, recording another double-double as well. While he has been mentioned in freshman and player of the year races, Boozer could find himself in a race for the nation's top rebounder if he can keep this up.

Duke has needed a stronger rebounder this season after ranking 45th in the country as a team last season with 38.2 boards per game. The Blue Devils have more size this season, but Boozer's 6-foot-9, 250-pound frame makes him the best of the bunch playing with his nose close to the rim.

Of his 35 boards in the exhibition games, 12 came on the offensive end, allowing for easy second-chance points. Duke will likely shoot a bunch of threes this season with more reliable sharpshooters on the roster this season.

However, early season shooting slumps are common, so Boozer's ability to clean up misses and convert them into points will be huge in the first few weeks of the season.

Scheyer has moved Boozer around on defense, experimenting with him guarding each of the five positions on the floor. Duke has more bigs who can patrol the paint defensively in Patrick Ngongba II and Maliq Brown, when he returns, which could take rebounds away from Boozer.

Either way, it's good to see more of a rebounding presence for the Blue Devils this season. An early season matchup with Kansas will be a good measuring stick to see how they shape up with other contenders, but Boozer's dominating performance on the glass against Tennessee suggests he can be physical with any team.

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

More must-reads: