Cameron Boozer Shines as Duke Rolls Past Wake Forest, Eyes Louisville Clash Amid Winter Storm
For Duke freshman Cameron Boozer, this season has been a crash course in college basketball, life away from home, and now-winter weather.
The Miami native is getting his first taste of a North Carolina winter, and while the Triangle isn’t expected to get the worst of the storm system sweeping across the region, it’s still a new experience for the standout forward.
“It’s my first time in a storm like this,” Boozer said with a smile after Duke’s 90-69 win over Wake Forest on Saturday. “But we’re not getting the worst.
Praying for everyone who has to deal with the storm. It’s going to be a rough one in a lot of places.
Thankfully, we’re going to be safe here.”
That safety net might include a temporary stay at the nearby Washington Duke Inn if power disruptions hit campus. Boozer, unfazed, joked that a hotel stay might be in the cards.
But weather aside, Duke’s focus remains locked in on the next opponent-No. 23 Louisville, scheduled to visit Cameron Indoor on Monday night.
Boozer Dominates as Duke Stays Hot
The Blue Devils, now 18-1 overall and a perfect 7-0 in ACC play, looked every bit like a top-five team in their latest outing. Boozer was the engine once again, dropping a game-high 32 points and leading a Duke team that imposed its will on Wake Forest from the jump.
The numbers paint a picture of dominance: 48 points in the paint, a 43-22 rebounding edge-including 16 offensive boards-and 50% shooting from the field. Add in a strong night at the line (21-of-24), and it’s clear why Duke never let Wake Forest get closer than nine points in the second half.
Boozer’s performance was complemented by fellow freshman big Patrick Ngongba II, who chipped in with 13 points and 9 rebounds. Together, the two combined for 45 points and 16 boards, setting the tone inside. Maliq Brown added eight rebounds and a team-best five assists, bringing energy and versatility on both ends.
“I thought Maliq gave us incredible energy,” head coach Jon Scheyer said postgame. “He was disruptive.
He just had a great way about him. As close to perfect as you can get.”
Duke’s 13-0 run in the first half gave them a cushion they never relinquished, and by the final whistle, they’d stretched the lead to as much as 25.
Louisville Looms-Weather Permitting
Next up is a rematch with Louisville, a team Duke beat 84-73 on the road back on January 6. That game was a grind-Duke had to rally from a halftime deficit-and the Cardinals were missing their freshman point guard, Mikel Brown Jr., who was out with an injury.
Brown returned to the lineup Saturday and immediately made his presence felt, dropping 20 points in Louisville’s 85-71 win over Virginia Tech. With him back in the fold, this isn’t the same team Duke saw three weeks ago.
Still, the Blue Devils aren’t looking to overcomplicate things. Their approach is simple: prepare like the game is happening, adjust if needed.
“We’re not going to think about it like that,” Boozer said when asked about the storm potentially impacting Monday’s game. “We’re just going to prepare for a great team coming on Monday. If things end up changing and moving around, then we’ll figure it out then.”
Scheyer echoed that mindset.
“Our mentality is whatever time, wherever we’re playing, we’ll be ready to go,” he said. “We’re planning on playing Monday night and we’ll be ready to adjust if anything comes up.”
Prepared for the Moment
For Boozer, it’s all part of the learning curve-adjusting to new teammates, new opponents, and now, new weather patterns. But if his play on the court is any indication, he’s handling it all like a veteran. The freshman phenom continues to anchor a Duke team that looks every bit like a national title contender.
And while the snow might be a novelty, winning basketball is quickly becoming the norm.