Duke Blue Devils freshman forward Cameron Boozer has been making the “Cameron Crazies,” those Duke fans who pack into Cameron Indoor Stadium, go wild when they see him take the court.
But one NCAA basketball analyst is making the case that, as far as being a one-and-done player (if that’s the case for Boozer), then Boozer is better than former Duke star Cooper Flagg, who was the No. 1 overall pick by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2025 NBA Draft.
CBB Analyst Heaps High Praise on Duke’s Cameron Boozer
College basketball analyst Matt Norlander of CBS Sports was talking about both Boozer and Flagg in the same breath during a Saturday show on CBS Sports Network. Norlander’s comments came on the heels of the top-ranked Blue Devils beating No. 11 Virginia 77-51 at the aforementioned Cameron Indoor Stadium.
“Cooper Flagg was one of the 3 or 4 best one-and-done players that we’ve ever seen and Cameron Boozer is BETTER.” 😳@MattNorlander with high praise for Duke’s freshman phenom. pic.twitter.com/SaVH6pZ3tu
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 1, 2026
“Here’s my thing with Boozer,” Norlander said. “He is the frontrunner for national player of the year. I would be surprised if anyone else wins it. Yeah, let’s do this.” Norlander said this as the CBS Sports broadcast put up Boozer’s statistics from this season alongside Flagg’s statistics from his one season in college basketball.
“Cooper Flagg was amazing last (season),” Norlander said. “Cooper Flagg was one of the three or four best one-and-done players that we’ve ever seen in college basketball. And Cameron Boozer is better.” Among the statistics shown on the screen for both players is their offensive rating. Boozer has a 134.3 offensive rating, compared to Flagg’s 123.0.
This season, Boozer is averaging 22.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists, and shooting 58% from the floor. As for Flagg’s numbers with Duke, he averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game, and shot 48% from the floor.
Boozer already is getting attention from NBA scouts. As the Blue Devils take aim for a spot in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, it will just put the spotlight even more on Boozer and his play.
With their win over Virginia, the Blue Devils are now 27-2, 15-1 in Atlantic Coast Conference play. The Cavaliers fell to 25-4 overall, 13-3 in ACC play. That Saturday win also helped the Blue Devils clinch the No. 1 spot in the ACC Tournament, which will take place in March. It’s a fitting way for Duke to get ready for some March Madness in its future.
