Cameron Boozer has been so good for thus lengthy that there could be a tendency to take his regular dominance as a right. As the category of 2025 has come of age, gamers with extra explosive athleticism and extra spectacular robust shot-making have gotten the lion’s share of the hype because the ‘subsequent massive factor’ to uncover. The one fixed alongside the way in which is that if Boozer and his twin brother are on the court docket, their group is nearly at all times profitable.
Cameron and Cayden Boozer dedicated to Duke over Miami on Friday. The twins will observe within the footsteps of their father, long-time NBA ahead Carlos Boozer, once they stroll onto campus in Durham. If their probably temporary school keep is something like their illustrious highschool careers, the Blue Devils are going to be profitable video games at a excessive stage.
Right here’s a quick listing of accomplishments for Cameron and Cayden Boozer within the prep ranks:
- Three straight state championships at Miami’s Columbus Excessive College.
- Three straight EYBL championships with Nightrydas Elite, within the U15, U16, and U17 divisions.
- Two gold medals with USA Basketball’s junior applications, the place Cameron was named MVP of each occasions.
Throughout their first three years at Columbus, the Boozers went 85-12 general. Of their last season of grassroots ball on the EYBL, they completed the yr with a 22-1 file. As members of the U17 World Cup, the twins starred on a group that gained by a mean of 64.4 factors per sport. Profitable comes straightforward to the Boozers, and there’s a lot extra to it than simply their NBA bloodlines.
Cayden is rated as a top-five level guard recruit within the nation. The 6’3 guard is a dogged point-of-attack defender and heady passer who is aware of methods to management the tempo of the sport. He initiatives as a killer school level guard, and can probably in the future be an NBA draft decide. He’s additionally clearly a secondary story within the twins’ dedication, as a result of his brother appears to be like each bit like a future NBA famous person.
Cameron Boozer is 6’9 tank who has a professional declare as essentially the most polished highschool scorer for the reason that shoe firm circuits got here into existence. From a uncooked statistical perspective, Boozer’s effectivity is mind-blowing. He posted a real taking pictures proportion at or above 70 % in each main occasion he’s performed in, and led the EYBL in factors per possession by a mile. With Boozer as the middle of their lineups, Nightrydas completed No. 1 in offensive effectivity and No. 2 in defensive effectivity this yr.
Boozer has rather a lot going for him as a participant, however his largest weapon is his really feel for the sport. He’s a grasp at selecting out the weaknesses within the opposition’s schemes, and discovering essentially the most brutally environment friendly approach attainable to punish them.
It helps to be massive and robust, and Cameron Boozer is actually that. Listed at 6’9, 235 kilos, Boozer is a hybrid massive man with true three-level scoring capacity. In the identical sport, you’ll typically see Boozer go from a heliocentric wing scorer to a post-up battering ram to a entrance court docket passing hub. He has no actual weaknesses in his talent set, and he constantly performs more durable and smarter than anybody else on the court docket.
Boozer is a robust inside scorer
Boozer needed to point out his talent on the perimeter early in his profession, however as he received older it grew to become clear that nobody might cease him inside. He’s so good at establishing deep paint touches, and leveraging his masterful footwork and tender contact to search out baskets inside. Right here he takes A.J. Dybantsa — the one participant ranked forward of him within the class of 2025 — into the paint off the bounce, and utilizing his massive physique to create separation for the bucket inside.
My favourite performs from Cam Boozer in his current sport in opposition to Utah Prep.
He has a few of the finest footwork of any HS prospect I’ve ever seen. Absolute famous person. pic.twitter.com/GCybKI3igW
— Dan Olinger (@dan_olinger) September 17, 2024
Boozer can also be glorious as a rebounder, particularly on the offensive finish. He performs with a constantly excessive motor that results in a number of putbacks per sport. It’s frequent to see him observe his personal shot inside and put in his personal misses. He will get off the ground extraordinarily nicely for somebody with such a thick body, and his nostril for the ball is plain.
Right here’s Boozer grabbing a number of rebounds over future high NBA draft decide Cooper Flagg and Maryland-bound teammate Derik Queen earlier than ending via visitors:
Boozer can deal with the ball like a star wing scorer
The dimensions and energy benefit Boozer has on his opponents in highschool goes to shrink as he jumps to school after which the professionals. NBA stars of all sizes and styles have to have the ability to play out on the perimeter now, and Boozer can very a lot do this.
He’s a complicated ball handler for somebody his dimension and his age, displaying good ball management and the power to remain low together with his dribble. He’s extra of a strength-based creator than somebody who will mud you together with his first step, however he’s a load to take care of as soon as he will get going downhill.
Gamers of all sizes simply appear to bounce off Boozer on his drives. He’s not closely strong-hand dependent, and does an excellent job of utilizing his thick decrease physique to maintain defenders off him. Watch him create house in opposition to Queen and over over Flagg for an additional bucket:
Boozer’s taking pictures appears to be like promising
Capturing improvement might be a swing talent for any high prospect coming into the league with legit positional dimension. Boozer is already an excellent shooter, if not but an incredible one. It’s exhausting to search out dependable taking pictures percentages, however most stories usually have him round 33-35 %. He has a little bit of a gradual launch on this three-point shot proper now, however there’s little doubt he has actual vary.
Right here’s 4 instance of Boozer hitting deep three-pointers off the catch as a flooring spacer.
Boozer can cross it, too
Boozer’s scoring is so efficient partially as a result of he not often will get tunnel imaginative and prescient. He does an amazing job of mapping the ground and figuring out the place his teammates are for an open cross. It’s so uncommon to see a 16-year-old course of the sport like this.
Boozer’s passing actually pops when defenses begin to focus in on taking his scoring away. He not often appears to power his personal scoring possibilities, and may throw some spectacular dimes when he has an open cutter.
Scripted play so it’s actually about executing, however right here’s 6-9 230 (I feel he’s taller and heavier 16yr previous Cam Boozer with some close to flawless execution on the blind dump off to cutter.
Really feel like there’s very a lot full on hub upside with him. pic.twitter.com/S2EYPRdb7G— fendo (@dancingwithnoah) April 8, 2024
Boozer’s outlet passing can also be a singular weapon. He understands the ball strikes quicker than your toes, and does a pleasant job of conserving his eyes up court docket when he grabs a rebound. Duke goes to attain so many straightforward buckets off his transition passing throughout his freshman yr.
Boozer appears to be like like a future NBA star
The race for the No. 1 general decide within the 2026 NBA Draft will come right down to Boozer vs. Dybantsa. Dybantsa is the No. 1 participant in most class of 2025 rankings proper now, and seems to have an honest lead on Boozer to ultimately be the NBA’s high decide. Dybantsa — a wing within the Tracy McGrady mould — is stuffed with projectable NBA upside. I nonetheless want Boozer’s polish, IQ, and effectivity, even when he isn’t as nimble and lacks Dybantsa’s nuclear explosiveness.
Boozer’s match on protection might be attention-grabbing. He’s largely performed the 5 in highschool, however he’ll be a tad quick for that within the NBA. If he’s going to be a full-time 4, he’ll have to proceed to enhance as a shooter. Whereas his protection appears to be like stable from a paint safety standpoint, it’s honest to marvel if his toes might be a little bit gradual guarding NBA fours on the perimeter.
Nonetheless, Boozer’s mixture of statistical dominance and translatable, well-rounded expertise are too spectacular to wager in opposition to. Born July 18, 2007, Boozer’s ruthless capacity to win on the highest ranges turns into extra spectacular whenever you understand he’s typically a lot youthful than his friends. If Flagg is the most effective NBA prospect exterior of league proper now, Boozer isn’t far behind him as No. 2 in my guide.
Duke has had some good outsized scoring forwards over time, from Jabari Parker to Brandon Ingram to Jayson Tatum to Zion Williamson to Jalen Johnson to Paolo Banchero to Flagg. Boozer has an opportunity to be nearly as good as any of them.
