Cameron Boozer came into this season with the weight of sky-high expectations-and he’s carried it like a veteran. The Duke freshman wasn’t just the top-ranked power forward in the class of 2025 a year ago; he was the consensus No. 1 overall prospect. Now, midway through the season, he’s not only living up to that billing-he’s exceeding it.
Duke is off to a blistering 21-1 start, and Boozer has been the engine behind it all. He leads the team in nearly every major statistical category, putting together a résumé that now has him front and center in the national spotlight.
On Monday, he was named one of the 10 finalists for the Karl Malone Award, which honors the top power forward in men’s college basketball. Not only is Boozer on the list-he’s leading it.
His name sits atop a group that includes Arizona’s Koa Peat, Gonzaga’s Graham Ike, and North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson, whom Boozer and the Blue Devils are set to face this weekend in one of the most anticipated rivalry matchups of the season.
What Boozer is doing as a freshman is rare. He’s averaging 23.3 points, 9.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.9 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game-numbers that would be impressive for a seasoned upperclassman, let alone someone in his first year of college ball. The only statistical category he doesn’t lead Duke in is blocks, where 6-foot-11 center Patrick Ngongba II holds the edge.
But Boozer’s impact goes well beyond the box score. He’s the kind of player who dictates the tempo of a game, makes smart reads on both ends, and elevates the play of everyone around him. Whether he’s crashing the glass, pushing in transition, or finding the open man out of a double team, Boozer plays with poise and polish that belies his age.
This weekend’s showdown with North Carolina offers another proving ground. Caleb Wilson is a fellow Karl Malone Award finalist and one of the few players in the country who can match Boozer’s size and skill at the four. If Boozer can continue his season-long trend of stuffing the stat sheet while limiting Wilson’s production, it’ll only strengthen his grip on the award-and his status as one of college basketball’s elite.
Right now, Boozer isn’t just in the conversation for best freshman in the country. He’s firmly in the mix for best player, period. The Karl Malone Award finalist list just made that official.