Twin Takeover: Cameron and Cayden Boozer Step Into College Basketball Spotlight

The face of a new college basketball season normally belongs to a highly touted freshman eager to prove he’s ready for the NBA – and maybe win a national championship along the way. Someone like Cooper Flagg, the 18-year-old college player of the year who just joined the Dallas Mavericks.This year, it’s not one but two rising stars ready to make their mark in the college game: Duke University freshmen twins Cameron and Cayden Boozer.The Blue Devils have moved on from Mr. Flagg, the freshman sensation who became the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. The Boozer twins arrive in Durham with resumes that already border on legendary after leading Christopher Columbus High School in Miami to four straight state championships and a national championship last year.“They’re generational players,” Chris McKeon, the athletic director at Columbus High School, tells The New York Sun. “They have a high basketball IQ and they’re also outstanding students. Not good students. Outstanding students.”Cameron, a 6-foot-9 scoring and rebounding machine, was a five-star recruit and two-time Gatorade National Player of the Year. He is projected as a top NBA draft pick in 2026 if all goes as expected. Cayden, a 6-foot-4 sharp-shooting guard, was rated among the top 20 recruits in the country. They’re both starting this season for the Blue Devils, who lost in the national semifinals last season to Houston.They’re also the sons of Carlos Boozer, who played 13 seasons in the NBA and won a national championship at Duke in 2001. “They’ve earned everything they’ve gotten,” Mr. Boozer told the Washington Post. “They don’t come across privileged or entitled. They’re grinding for their own name.”His twins are part of a growing list of sons of NBA fathers who are making their mark on the college level. The list includes Carmelo Anthony’s son Kiyan, a four-star recruit, starting his freshman year at Syracuse; Bryce James, the youngest son of LeBron James, beginning his first year at Arizona; Ashton Hardaway, son of Penny Hardaway, entering his third college season at Memphis; and Shaqir O’Neal, son of Shaquille O’Neal, playing his final season at Sacramento State.Initially, the Boozer twins didn’t want to follow in their father’s footsteps at Duke. “Our whole life we’ve been trying to make our own path,” Cameron told the Washington Post. “But you look at what Duke has done with guys at my position: Paolo [Banchero], Zion [Williamson], Brandon Ingram, and [Jayson] Tatum. The history that Duke has and the resources they have off the court, it’s a magical place.”College scouts tracked the twins’ high school careers and began making offers three years ago. It helped to have a father who had played at an elite university and spent several years in the NBA.“We had college coaches in and out of here quite a bit,” Mr. McKeon tells the Sun. “You name the top college coaches, and they were here at one time or another. Carlos knew what the boys were going through, and what the pitfalls, and red flags were. The boys were never in a situation where they didn’t know from one day to the next what was going to happen.”One thing that has changed since their father’s college playing days is getting paid for their names, images and likenesses. Carlos Boozer made a reported $145 million during his playing career. His sons could make that much before they leave college.Cameron is already among the top five earners in men’s college basketball with an NIL valuation of $2.1 million. He and Cayden recently signed a multi-year deal with Leaf Trading Cards and Crocs, though money is not their motivation.“This is what we’ve been dreaming about since we were kids,” Cayden said. “A lot of people want to be in the NBA because of lifestyle and everything that comes with it. For me and Cameron, our goal is to be really good NBA players and hopefully all-stars. I’ve had a really good life. I’ve been fortunate to have two amazing parents who have done well for us. That doesn’t change the fact that I want to do something for myself.”Mr. McKeon, in high school athletics for more than 30 years, will be cheering from afar. “They love basketball, and they’ve put a lot into it,” he said. “But when the ball stops bouncing, I’m confident they’ll succeed in life.”

Twin Takeover: Cameron and Cayden Boozer Step Into College Basketball Spotlight

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