The first night of Las Vegas Summer League already delivered a heavyweight headliner, and Friday brings another one with even more built-in spice. This time it’s No. 3 pick Cameron Boozer against No. 4 pick Caleb Wilson, with the Duke-UNC rivalry hanging over the whole thing.
That’s the kind of setup the NBA loves for July basketball. Blue Devils fans and Tar Heels fans will both have a reason to lock in, because this one comes with more than draft positioning. Boozer also has a little extra edge after Wilson’s recent comments.
“I played all of them, Wilson said of the three players taken ahead of him in the draft."You know what happened when I played them. I get to play them in summer league too."
Boozer and Wilson have already crossed paths once this season. North Carolina stunned Duke with a comeback win in Chapel Hill, and while Boozer posted a double-double with 24 points and 11 rebounds, Wilson still made his mark with 23 points in the Tar Heels’ victory.
The rematch in Durham went the other way in a hurry, with Duke rolling, though Wilson did not play because of injury.
Boozer enters this one with a little more Summer League mileage than Wilson. Memphis has already played in the Salt Lake City Summer League, and Boozer appeared in two games there.
He opened on July 4 against the Thunder and put up 15 points, four rebounds and four assists in 24 minutes. Then on July 6 against the Jazz, he followed with 18 points and seven rebounds in a loss.
Wilson, meanwhile, is set for his Summer League debut.
The game will stream exclusively on Amazon Prime, so a subscription is required to watch it. And unlike the quieter early Summer League games that tend to slip by, this one should draw plenty of attention. Boozer gets his first NBA matchup against Wilson, and the chance to back up the draft order with a statement performance.
In Other News...
NBA Legend Just Singled Out A Former Duke Star For Praise
Jabari Parkers name still carries real weight when one of the NBAs biggest stars starts reflecting on the people who shaped him. In a farewell video after being traded to the Miami Heat, Giannis Antetokounmpo singled out the former Duke standout and said Parker pushed him to work harder early in his career, a reminder of how quickly Parker went from college phenom to a player other pros still remember for the standard he set.
For Duke fans, it is a familiar kind of what-could-have-been conversation, because Parkers lone season in Durham was enough to make him one of the most talked-about players in the country. His NBA path never matched that early promise, with injuries taking a heavy toll, but praise like this shows the respect for his game never really went away. [Read more 🡒]
Dukes Answer At Quarterback Is Finally Starting To Take Shape
After a spring and summer of uncertainty at the most important position on the field, Dukes quarterback picture is finally starting to come into focus. The Blue Devils had to reset after Darian Mensah transferred to Miami following the fallout from his multiyear NIL deal and the lawsuit that was later settled out of court, leaving the staff to search for a new answer as the 2026 season approached.
A graduate transfer from San Jose State has now emerged as the projected starter, and he was granted a waiver this offseason to be eligible next year. Even with that move giving Duke a clearer path at quarterback, the job still has to be sorted out on the field, with Dan Mahan, Ari Patu and Terry Walker III among the players who could push for the role once competition begins. [Read more 🡒]
Jon Scheyer Was Courtside For A Massive Duke Recruiting Check-In
Jon Scheyer and assistant Emanuel Dildy were courtside at a Nike EYBL game that doubled as a useful recruiting check-in, with 2027 Duke commit Kager Knueppel and another high-priority target, Beckham Black, facing off in a one-point game. Team Herro edged AB Elite 52-51, giving the Blue Devils staff a live look at two prospects who sit near the center of Dukes early 2027 board, along with a chance to track how Knueppel continues to fit into the programs long-term plan.
Black, one of the fastest-rising names in the class, has already drawn a recent Duke offer and arrived with the kind of family basketball background that tends to keep bluebloods paying attention. Knueppels outing was quieter than usual, but the bigger takeaway for Duke was simply being in the building for a matchup that also fit into a wider 2027 search, with Adan Diggs and Lewis Uvwo among the other names on the staffs radar. [Read more 🡒]