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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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Duke’s NCAA Tournament run opened with authority, and the spotlight quickly found its newest stars.
In a tense, narrow first-round win over Siena, freshman phenom Cameron Boozer once again looked like one of the most dominant college basketball players in the country, finishing with 22 points, 13 rebounds, and three assists in 39 minutes.
Meanwhile, his twin brother Cayden provided steady guard play, producing 19 points, five assists, and two steals on 9-of-16 shooting from the field.
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But the conversation shifted almost immediately after the final buzzer.
On a recent episode of "The Ryan Russillo Show," former Duke star and NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer pulled back the curtain on one of the most closely watched recruiting stories in recent memory: how his twin sons ultimately chose to play together at Duke.
"The biggest thing I told the boys was Duke was the right place for me 25 years ago, but they had to figure out what was best for them," Boozer said. "They decided on their own that they wanted to play together, and they chose Duke. And obviously, I was super proud of that."
“I wanted to stay as much away from the recruiting process as I could because I didn’t want schools recruiting me as the dad,” he continued. “I’m not going to be the one there at 6 a.m. getting ready to work out. I’m not going to be there at 2 in the morning getting ready to study for an exam. They are. So you have to recruit my kids and see if what you have going on fits what they want to do for their careers.”
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Both Cameron and Cayden arrived in Durham as blue-chip recruits.
Cameron, a consensus five-star and top-three prospect in the 2025 class, built one of the most decorated high school résumés in recent memory.
He captured multiple national honors, including two Gatorade National Player of the Year awards, and won gold medals with Team USA while dominating on the EYBL circuit.
His freshman season has only reinforced that trajectory, averaging 22.5 points and 10.2 rebounds per game while shooting 56.5% from the field and 40.9% from beyond the arc.
Cayden, meanwhile, entered as a highly regarded point guard prospect, ranked just outside the top 20 nationally and among the top five at his position.
Their joint commitment to Duke in 2024 was viewed as both a major recruiting win and a continuation of a powerful family legacy.
Their father, Carlos Boozer, was a centerpiece of Duke’s 2001 national championship team before going on to a 13-year NBA career as a two-time All-Star.
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As for the bracket, the road only gets tougher.
Next up is a second-round showdown with No. 9 seed TCU, fresh off an upset of Ohio State. And if Duke advances, a gauntlet of heavyweights, including Kansas, St. John’s, Michigan State, and UConn, could be waiting.
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