Duke basketball keeps on humming, and it's thanks in large part to the continued excellent play of Cameron Boozer, who is widely expected to go in the top three of the 2026 NBA Draft. Boozer, in a 93-64 demolition of NC State, put up 26 points on 8-10 shooting from the field and 9-11 from the free-throw line, as he was a man amongst boys in a game that wasn't particularly close from the jump.

Boozer plays with so much physicality, and his NBA-readiness stems from the fact that he has an NBA-ready body that is taking advantage of playing against weaker opposition in collegiate basketball. In fact, the Wolfpack even had to resort to some added physicality just to try and slow him down, even leaving a noticeable huge scratch on his right arm. Even then, this did not slow him down one bit.

“It was some point in the second half. One of their big men. The Wolfpack got me. They got long claws,” Boozer said in his postgame presser, eliciting much laughter from reporters, via FOX College Hoops on X (formerly Twitter). “It just goes to show our fight that we brought to this game. It was a big time for our team for sure.”

First-ranked Duke basketball on course for top seed in NCAA Tournament

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Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) reacts during the second half against the NC State Wolfpack at Lenovo Center.
Zachary Taft-Imagn Images.

Duke has had little to no hiccups all season long, with their only two losses of the campaign thus far coming at the hands of respectable opposition in their archrival UNC as well as the upstart Texas Tech.

Boozer, in particular, has been so reliable that it's not hard at all to see why he's one of the most tantalizing prospects of a deep draft class. He may not jump off the building, but he plays with so much poise and composure, making it seem as though he's a 10-year veteran, not a freshman set to go one and done.

Now, Duke basketball is on course to earn the top seed in the NCAA Tournament, making them the favorite to win it all during March Madness.