CAMERON BOOZER just did something only four other freshmen in college basketball history have done: win national player of the year. Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, Zion Williamson, and Cooper Flagg were the others. All four went first overall in the NBA Draft. Boozer? He fell to the Memphis Grizzlies at pick three.
That gap between résumé and draft slot tells you how weird this year’s class was, and how the league still can’t quite figure out what to do with Boozer even after a historically dominant season at Duke.
A freshman season that stacks up with anyone
Boozer averaged 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. He led the Blue Devils to one of the best records in the country. He has NBA bloodlines — his dad Carlos was a two-time All-Star — and his twin brother Cayden is also in this draft class. On paper, everything screams lottery lock. And he was. Just not at the top.
The raw numbers are absurd for a frontcourt freshman. Boozer can score in the post, step out and hit threes, rebound like a guy who hates losing, and even facilitate out of the high post. His intangibles are basically unassailable. He’s been winning since high school.
So what gives?
The tweener problem that kept dropping him
The biggest knocks on Boozer aren’t about production. They’re about projection. At 6-foot-9 with decent but not elite athleticism, scouts worry he’s caught between positions. Too slow to guard quicker fours, too short to protect the rim like a true five. His game — a lot of back-to-the-basket stuff, mid-range jumpers — feels like something out of the early 2000s. The 3-point shot helps modernize it, but the defense is a real question.
AJ Dybantsa went first overall largely because of freakish athletic tools. Darryn Peterson went second on two-way potential. Both are seen as having higher ceilings even if Boozer might be the safest bet to contribute right away. Some evaluators even preferred Caleb Wilson over Boozer. That’s how deep and weird this draft was at the top.
Memphis might be the perfect spot for a fall
Here’s the thing about falling in the draft: sometimes landing in the right situation matters more than the slot number. The Grizzlies are in a weird phase — Ja Morant is still around but the team has clearly shifted toward a younger core. Boozer can step in as a frontcourt anchor who doesn’t need the ball to be effective but can create when called on. That’s valuable next to Morant’s chaos.
And there’s recent history that should give Boozer fans some hope. Jalen Brunson won national player of the year as a junior and fell to the second round. He just led the Knicks to their first NBA Finals win since 1973. Luka Garza won the award as a senior and went in the second round too. Scouts didn’t love their ceilings either. Sometimes the sure thing gets undervalued.
Boozer is younger than both of those guys were when they got drafted. He’s not a finished product. If the Grizzlies develop him right, the guy who fell to three might end up being the steal of the draft.
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