Boozer joins Flagg as Naismith winner, but Duke's tournament problems remain

Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer. Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Cameron Boozer joins Cooper Flagg as Naismith winner, but Duke's NCAA Tournament problems remain

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Apr 5, 2026 4:18 PM ET

Duke Blue Devils keep racking up individual awards but not national championships.

Duke freshman forward Cameron Boozer won the Naismith Award as the best player in men's college basketball on Sunday. This marks the second straight season a Blue Devil has been recognized as the top player in the country. Forward Cooper Flagg (who's now making history with the Dallas Mavericks) earned the honors last season.

That's great for Duke, but you know what would be even better for the ACC power? If Flagg and Boozer had national championships and Naismith Awards in their trophy cases.

Cameron Boozer winning the Naismith Award adds to Duke's frustrations in March Madness

After Duke lost to the Houston Cougars, 70-67, in the Final Four last season, the basketball blue blood seemed poised to avenge that loss with Boozer leading the way. Instead, the program suffered one of its most heartbreaking losses in school history.

Cam Boozer has been named the 2026 Naismith Men’s College Player of the Year

Back-to-back men’s winners for Duke pic.twitter.com/JwG6k9PZc3
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 5, 2026

In a 73-72 loss to the Connecticut Huskies in the Elite Eight, Duke botched its final possession, which allowed freshman guard Braylon Mullins to drill a game-winning 35-foot three-pointer.

BRAYLON MULLINS ARE YOU KIDDING

UCONN COMES BACK FROM 19 TO ADVANCE TO THE FINAL FOUR pic.twitter.com/GLdrvxt4wW
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 29, 2026

"I'm hurting right now. We're all hurting," Boozer said after the loss to the Huskies. "I wish I could've gave more for those guys."

However, Boozer, who scored 27 points against UConn, couldn't have done more. The son of two-time NBA All-Star Carlos more than lived up to the hype throughout the season.

Entering Sunday, Cameron Boozer ranks ninth in the nation in scoring (22.5 points per game) and 13th in rebounding (10.2 rebounds per game). The 6-foot-9, 250-pound forward is expected to declare for the 2026 NBA Draft and be a first-round pick. Tankathon's latest mock draft has the Indiana Pacers selecting him No. 3 overall.

The Mavericks took Flagg with the No. 1 selection in the 2025 draft. With all this talent, Duke should be winning national championships. Alas, the Blue Devils haven't cut the nets since the 2014-15 season.

Perhaps the program will get over the hump next season. But for now, Duke should be frustrated that star players like Flagg and Cameron Boozer don't have national champion listed on their college resumes.

Clark Dalton

Clark Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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