The subsequent set of elite basketball twins are about announce their faculty choice. Cameron and Cayden Boozer are five-star prospects out of Columbus Excessive College in Miami who’ve gained on the highest stage in all places they’ve performed. Now they’re selecting between the Duke Blue Devils and the Miami Hurricanes for the place they’ll proceed their careers.
Cameron and Cayden are the sons of long-time NBA ahead Carlos Boozer. The twins gained three straight Florida state championships at Columbus throughout their first three years at school, and matched it with three straight EYBL championships in U15, U16, and U17 divisions throughout grassroots season. Add in a pair of gold medals with USA Basketball — the place Cameron was named MVP in each tournaments — and the Boozer twins have an simple case as the best winners of their era at the highschool stage.
Cameron Boozer shall be competition to be the No. 1 general choose within the 2026 NBA Draft alongside elite wing A.J. Dybansta. The 6’9 large man’s signature talent is his extremely excessive really feel for the sport. He’s been a traditionally environment friendly scorer all through his prep profession, exhibiting the flexibility to punish opponents on the glass and within the submit, whereas additionally having the ability to step out for three-pointers and create for himself off the dribble. The larger Boozer isn’t precisely an above-the-rim athlete, however his mixture of IQ, contact, dimension, power, passing, and motor is not possible to disclaim.
Cayden Boozer didn’t get his brother’s luck within the genetic lottery, however he nonetheless has respectable dimension for a degree guard at about 6’3. Cayden seems to be destined to be an amazing faculty ground common on the very least. He has an enormous, sturdy body that helps him hound opposing guards on the level of assault. He’s a heady passer who thrives pushing his staff in transition. He’s getting higher as a shooter, and might be an NBA prospect in his personal proper whether or not it’s as a one-and-one or somebody who wants a number of years at school.
It’s uncommon you see a high-profile recruiting battle between ACC foes Duke and Miami, however both faculty can be an important alternative for the Boozer twins. Let’s break it down.
The case for Duke
Duke doesn’t have any commitments for the category of 2025 but. They’d love for Cameron and Cayden Boozer to be the primary.
Cameron Boozer would instantly take over for Cooper Flagg, the very seemingly No. 1 general choose within the 2025 NBA Draft, as Duke’s beginning energy ahead and first offensive possibility. Boozer and Flagg have had some superb battles all through their highschool careers, and every appear destined to be large NBA stars. Whereas Flagg is extra athletic and the higher defender, Boozer is a extra polished scorer. Duke head coach Jon Scheyer would haven’t any drawback fine-tuning his schemes to suit Boozer’s distinctive skills.
Cameron Boozer would match proper in to Duke’s lineage of scoring forwards with elite NBA pedigrees. From Jabari Parker to Brandon Ingram to Jayson Tatum to Zion Williamson to Jalen Johnson to Paolo Banchero to Flagg, Duke at all times appears to have a stud freshman wing/ahead destined to be picked excessive within the draft. It simply makes an excessive amount of sense for Boozer to be subsequent.
It’s onerous to say how Duke’s guard scenario will shake out subsequent yr with regard to Cayden’s match within the backcourt. Duke has Tyrese Proctor, Caleb Foster, Isaiah Evans, and Darren Harris at backcourt spots this yr. Proctor is at present a junior and Foster is a sophomore, so each might theoretically return subsequent yr. It wouldn’t be a shock to see a type of gamers flip professional, opening up a possible beginning spot for Cayden. Participant motion in faculty basketball is so fluid lately that it feels pointless to challenge the roster this far out.
Did we point out that the twins’ father, Carlos Boozer, was a big-time star at Duke again within the day? From a legacy perspective, Duke checks so many bins.
The case for Miami
Miami has just a few issues going for it on this choice in opposition to Duke. Selecting the Hurricanes would permit the Boozer twins to carve out their very own legacy. It might permit them to remain at residence in Florida. It might additionally seemingly assure a beginning job for Cayden that he could or could not have at Duke.
Miami has been one of many colleges on the forefront of throwing out large offers within the NIL period. Keep in mind when Nijel Pack getting $800K in NIL to switch to Miami was an enormous deal? Today, high transfers are getting $2 million per yr whereas Pack continues to be on the roster for the Hurricanes. Duke is clearly an NIL monster in its personal proper, but it surely does really feel like Miami will be aggressive within the market if it means touchdown day one superstars just like the Boozer twins.
At Duke, the Boozers can be persevering with a lineage that features their father and so many different star gamers. At Miami, they may legitimately be the largest basketball stars in program historical past. The Hurricanes have by no means gained the nationwide championship, however they did make the Remaining 4 two years in the past as a No. 5 seed. This program can win even within the twilight of head coach Jim Larrañaga’s profession.
Town of Miami appears to imply quite a bit to the Boozers. As a Chicago Bulls fan, I bear in mind seeing them on TV for the primary time cheering for the Warmth regardless of their father taking part in for Chicago. They caught at a non-public highschool within the metropolis as a substitute of transferring to a prep program elsewhere. There’s nothing higher than doing it on your hometown, and committing to the Hurricanes offers the Boozers the possibility to do exactly that.
Miami already misplaced most of its staff over this previous offseason. They’re kind of constructing from scratch, with five-star guard Jalil Bethea main a robust recruiting class. The guess right here is that Bethea goes to the NBA after this season. With Pack and star wing Matthew Cleveland each out of eligibility after this season, it feels just like the Hurricanes can have largely a clean slate roster to be crammed in recruiting and with the switch portal. Scoring guard Jalen Blackmon (a Stetson switch) ought to be again, and incoming freshman taking pictures guard Austin Swartz (No. 65 ranked in his class) and wing Isaiah Johnson-Arigu (No. 145 in his class) ought to be contributors, however each Boozers would clearly have enormous roles and can be the leaders of the staff instantly in the event that they go to Miami.
Boozer twins recruiting prediction
I’ll go together with Duke. It’s onerous to guess in opposition to the Blue Devils in recruiting. Cameron Boozer particularly simply appears destined to proceed Duke’s lineage of stud freshman scoring forwards, and Cayden is nice sufficient to get rotation minutes straight away at minimal.
This dedication is approaching Thursday, Oct. 10. We’ll know quickly.
