Cameron Boozer and Cayden Boozer announced their collegiate decision and they will play men’s college basketball at Duke.
Cameron Boozer and Cayden Boozer announced their collegiate decision and they will play men’s college basketball at Duke.
This is a major win for Duke men’s head basketball coach Jon Scheyer, who officially landed a commitment from one of the top recruits in the nation for the second year in a row. Cameron Boozer is currently the No. 2 player in the class of 2025 and his brother, Cayden, is No. 21 in the class.
It is not exactly shocking that the twin brothers will attend the same school as their father, Carlos Boozer, who won an NCAA title at the university in 2001. But it is majorly impactful for Scheyer.
Plus, t was reportedly not a lock that these incredible basketball players would go to Duke. So for the program to land them both over Miami and Florida was a major win in an era post coach Mike Krzyzewski.
This news comes one year after the coach also received a commitment from Cooper Flagg, who is the No. 1 player in the class of 2024.
We project that Flagg will also hear his name called as the first pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, though, so his stay in the NCAA will likely not be long.
Flagg is an elite prospect and joins Wembanyama as one of the best we have evaluated in recent years. But he is just one player who will only be on Duke campus for a few months.
The Boozer twins will headline a Duke recruiting class as two top-tier NCAA prospects. Even though Cameron is almost certainly a one-and-done prospect like Flagg, perhaps Cayden decides to stay an extra year in college. It isn’t an impossible thought!
Plus, it should inspire more highly-touted recruits to play alongside them.
That means Scheyer may have just landed more than two seasons of college basketball in one fell swoop, which is impressive work from the third-year coach.
Former Duke star Jahlil Okafor was a UNC basketball fan at one point.
The UNC-Duke rivalry runs deep and players carry that into their life post-athletics. But before the athletes decide on their school, they had allegiances to their favorite teams.
And sometimes, those players were a fan of a rival.
The latest case of this comes with former Duke star Jahlil Okafor, who played one season with the Blue Devils helping them win a national championship. It’s the last title Duke has won as the class featuring Okafor, Tyus Jones, Justise Winslow, and Grayson Allen delivered a title in 2015.
Okafor was a five-star recruit out of Chicago who picked the Blue Devils in June of 2014. He had 18 total offers and visited Duke, Kansas, Arizona, Kentucky and Baylor. While UNC did offer, the recruitment never progressed to where they were a serious contender. But Okafor did consider the Tar Heels at one point.
“Yes, yes, yes, yes. I loved Carolina, actually,” Okafor said to former UNC forward Theo Pinson on the ‘Run Your Race’ podcast. “Honestly, when I first found out about the rivalry, when I was watching documentaries as a shorty, Carolina was the side that I felt like I was a part of. Young and dumb. Young and dumb.”
Pinson went on to say something that he’s said before, that he grew up a Duke fan. So it happens.
Okafor dominated while at Duke and went on to be the No. 3 overall pick in the NBA draft, going to Philadelphia.
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This wasn’t supposed to happen. We’re not supposed to be here. Cooper Flagg is not supposed to be signed to New Balance today.
Yet, here we are.
This morning, New Balance released a promotional video featuring Flagg. It showed him shooting hoops in a driveway until a paper boy throws a newspaper in the driveway with a headline announcing Flagg’s decision.
New Balance labeled Flagg’s choice as “The Intelligent Choice,” seemingly taking a shot at the competitors around them. This was the brand’s announcement that they’d signed the newly minted Duke basketball star to a shoe deal.
This deal is quite a surprise, considering Flagg’s history. It seemed like he was a shoo-in (pun intended) to sign with Nike, considering two things. He was a mainstay in Nike’s EYBL youth circuit over the last few years. Plus, he plays for Duke — a Nike school. That’s what makes this choice so surprising.
That last part begs the question: How does this work? A New Balance athlete playing at a Nike school? Will he be able to wear New Balance shoes?
The answer is a bit complicated. Let’s get into it.
Wait, so will Cooper be wearing New Balance during games?
Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
Long story short, the answer is no. He won’t be wearing New Balance during his games at Duke this year.
He won’t have it on during practice or when participating in media availability, either. During those moments, he’ll wear Nike just like his teammates.
Duke has a contract with Nike that extends until 2027. The two sides have worked together since 1992. Student-athletes must wear Nike while officially representing Duke University as part of that contract. So whenever Flagg — or any other athlete at Duke — plays for or represents Duke, they’ll have to wear Nike. Or, at the very least, not wear one of Nike’s competing brands.
So when can Flagg wear New Balance?
Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports
He can wear New Balance at any other time so long as it’s not an official public appearance on behalf of Duke.
For example, if Flagg participates in an event that Duke doesn’t have anything to do with, he’d be able to wear New Balance to the event. He can also post and promote New Balance through his social media channels.
It’s certainly not ideal for any sponsor, considering that Flagg’s best and most notable moments will come on the court while wearing Nike and repping Duke, but it’s not the worst situation in the world, either.
Why would New Balance sign him if he can’t always wear it?
The pros outweigh the cons here. At least, in New Balance’s view, anyway.
Sure, Flagg won’t be able to wear New Balance on the court for a year. But that’s just a year.
This move here is simply New Balance getting ahead of the curve here and snatching up a player who might be one of the best in the NBA for years to come.
It’s a smart move.
Is there any precedence for this?
Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
Flau’Jae Johnson has a similar arrangement with LSU and Puma.
However, LSU is a Nike school. It’s reportedly paid $1 million annually along with $5 million in product each year in exchange for being the school’s sole sportswear provider, according to the Wall Street Journal.
With that deal in place, Johnson has been unable to wear Puma during LSU games, practices, and other events. However, she’s still managed to wear and promote Puma on her social media pages and at public events.
It’s a delicate balance, sure. But it’s definitely possible. As he goes through this season with Duke, Flagg will have to figure that balance out for himself.
But, in the long run, New Balance just signed one of the best basketball prospects we’ve seen in a long time. That’s a big win for the brand and a big win for Flagg, too.
In spite of our better judgment, we often find ourselves reading the vitriol known as internet comments. They tend to be bad enough that we question whether there’s any good left in humanity. Once in a while though, we get a comment that’s wildly entertaining.
Pete Sampson, Notre Dame’s beat reporter for The Athletic, was looking through the comments for a story he did about [autotag]Riley Leonard[/autotag]. What he found was someone recalling a firsthand encounter with Leonard during his days at Duke, and it occurred in the most humiliating way possible. Sampson decided to share the comment on social media:
Sometimes the comments section can be a dark place. Or sometimes you get a Duke student recounting a pickup hoops game with Riley Leonard … without knowing who Leonard was. Whoops.https://t.co/dsKuQFdM6lpic.twitter.com/G276GLPLcF
This is a reminder that athletes who compete at a high level often are able to excel at multiple sports, not only the one they focus on. Heck, there are multiple examples throughout history of athletes turning professional in more than one sport.
Leonard probably won’t be switching to basketball, but we now have an idea of how he would do. At least we know how we would do against random pickup players.
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Notre Dame has had a trend for most of this decade of bringing in transfer upperclassmen to be the quarterback for the upcoming season. That will happen again in 2024 with former Duke quarterback [autotag]Riley Leonard[/autotag]. All indications are that he will have a fine season for the Irish, and we just got one more of those.
Leonard is one of 63 quarterbacks who has been named to the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List. This award is given to the best upperclassmen quarterback in college football. Leonard getting the hardware would make it the third such instance for an Irish quarterback, joining [autotag]Tony Rice[/autotag] in 1989 and [autotag]Brady Quinn[/autotag] in 2006.
Leonard also has been named to the watch list for the Maxwell Award, which is given to college football’s best player and has been won by Irish players seven times. Simply put, he will be counted on heavily in 2024, so we’ll see how well he deals with that pressure.
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At least a dozen Broncos players are working out at TCU ahead of training camp. Jarrett Stidham is hosting teammates in Dallas.
Last month, Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton revealed that he and several teammates planned to work out in the Dallas area ahead of training camp.
Those workouts kicked off this week, organized by Texas native Jarrett Stidham, according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis. The players are practicing at TCU in Fort Worth.
Stidham shared a photo on his Instagram page Tuesday showing the QB and 11 teammates at TCU’s indoor facility. Stidham and Sutton were joined by tight end Adam Trautman, fullback Michael Burton, quarterback Bo Nix, running back Jaleel McLaughlin and receivers Tim Patrick, Marvin Mims, Jalen Virgil, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Michael Bandy and David Sills.
It’s possible that other players might be joining the workouts later in the week.
Top 2024 high school recruit Cooper Flagg played in the Team USA scrimmage ahead of the Olympics, giving a forewarning to the elite of the NBA.
If Cooper Flagg had been allowed to enter the NBA draft directly out of high school last month, there’s a good chance he would have been the number one pick.
Instead, the consensus top recruit in the high school class of 2024 is headed to Duke, but he maneuvered his way into playing with the elite of the elite this week. The 17-year-old Maine native took part in a Team USA scrimmage at the UNLV training facility ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics and showed the Olympians that he’s coming for them.
Washington Post reporter Ben Golliver’s timeline on social media platform X is filled with highlights from the Team USA vs. Select Team scrimmage, and several are of Flagg getting the best of the NBA stars. Perhaps the best is this series of possessions in which he hits a 3-pointer over Los Angeles Lakers big Anthony Davis, tracks AD down the court as an errant pass flies in their direction, takes the ball upcourt, and then puts in an athletic putback while getting fouled.
Duke commit Cooper Flagg has taken over USA Basketball scrimmage: hits a three and then finishes a tough putback pic.twitter.com/SB3Y4fDpYt
Here’s another possession in which he backs down the smaller Jrue Holiday and then hits the turnaround jumper over the Boston Celtics guard, one of the top defenders in the NBA:
Duke commit Cooper Flagg hits a turnaround over Celtics’ Jrue Holiday during USA Basketball scrimmage pic.twitter.com/zEIDYVVNnv
And while he’s comfortable playing down low, taking the ball and shooting off the dribble, Flagg was also happy to spot up in the corner and hit a 3 over Davis.
Duke commit Cooper Flagg cashes a three over Lakers’ Anthony Davis during USA Basketball scrimmage pic.twitter.com/LVgLji6rQj
Team USA won 74-73, according to Golliver, and from the replays, it looked like they weren’t putting in 100% effort. But the play of this 17-year-old who has yet to start college, let alone step onto an NBA court for game action, is a forewarning for what may come as soon as next year.
Countdown to Kickoff: Lucas Patrick is the Saints Player of Day 62. The veteran has plenty of experience at center and both guard spots:
We’re counting down the days until the New Orleans Saints kick off their 2024 season by highlighting each of the players who wear the corresponding jersey number. And with 62 days left until Week 1, it’s time to discuss the current owner of the No. 62 jersey: Lucas Patrick.
Patrick has a unique skill set as someone with experience at both guard and center. While he’s spent most of his career snapping the ball himself, the Saints also worked him in at left guard during minicamp. He’s been on the field for more than 3,900 snaps on offense in his career, 1,921 of them at center and 1,372 of them at right guard, with the rest at left guard, per Pro Football Focus charting.
And he would probably be on the roster if the Saints had a game today. But Patrick must outwork some competition if he’s going to hold onto that status over the summer. He’s competing with guys like Shane Lemieux (who was practicing ahead of him at left guard) as well as Olisaemeka Udoh, once he’s healthy. Younger players in the mix include Kyle Hergel, Nouri Nouili, Sincere Haynesworth, and Mark Evans II. Patrick is a good option for depth, but he could earn a larger role with a productive training camp.
Kyle Filipowski is a Duke big man who is ready to dribble, pass, and shoot in the NBA.
Editor’s Note: This story was originally published June 4, 2024.
Duke Blue Devils star Kyle Filipowski is a talented, versatile big man who can help space the floor and impact winning at the next level.
Filipowski is widely considered one of the top players at his position in this class. After averaging 16.4 points with 8.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game as a sophomore, he was named as a consensus second-team All-American.
He told For The Win during a recent video interview that he has the unique ability as a big man who can dribble, pass, and shoot.
“It gives teams a lot to do with me. I’m very adaptable. I’m very coachable,” Filipowski said. Whatever the team needs me to do, I’m going to be able to do it just because of that uniqueness in my skills.”
The former Duke star measured just short of 6-foot-11 in socks at the 2024 NBA Draft Combine. His shuttle run (2.93 seconds) was near the best among all players at his position.
“I’m very disciplined with what I need to be doing in order to take my body to the next level in order to play at the NBA stage,” Filipowski explained. “I’m excited for the spacing just to expand my range on 3-pointers because I know that’s going to help a lot with my passing and my facilitating as well if I get that more dangerous for teams.”
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Watch Episode 2 of Prospect Park, a video series featuring future NBA players brought to you by USA TODAY Sports and For The Win:
How helpful will it be to have a fully healthy offseason?
That’s going to be huge. Like you said, right after we lost in the tournament my freshman year at Duke, I got double bilateral hip surgery two weeks later, if that. That was a really hard decision for me to make because I knew I wasn’t going to have an offseason to develop and take off but ultimately, it was the best decision for me because now I’m feeling fantastic with where my body is at and I’m super excited to now have that offseason to get stronger and just work on my body even more now. Even now, every day, my body is getting better than it was. It’s not even at its full peak yet. So having this full offseason is going to be huge for me and I’m looking forward to it.
What should NBA teams know about you?
I’m not even at my fullest potential. I’m not even at my best yet. That comes with physicality and my skill set, of course. I think a lot of players can say that but for me, my upside is a whole lot more because of that hip surgery. I’m still getting better from that every day. So the strides and leaps I can take with that, they’ll get a guy that is going to be a dangerous player that loves competing and loves playing the game. Those are the biggest things for me.
How does your basketball IQ impact winning?
I’m a big learner of the game. I love watching basketball. I love watching the playoffs right now and seeing and reading all of these things that players are doing. It’s just so exciting for me. I know what I’m capable of and obviously college is a whole different style of play than the NBA and I feel like my style of play suits the NBA so much better. With that IQ coming into play, being able to facilitate and with the spacing and just reading and reacting, the defense will be so much easier in my opinion with my IQ.
What is your ideal role in the NBA?
I think what I love to do is just space the floor. I think that opens up a lot for myself and for my teammates. Starting on the perimeter, that gives me the ability to drive the ball and kick it out to the shooters or even pass it off to the five man like a Dereck Likely. Doing that at my size and also being able to space the floor and let the five man go to work inside or let the guards attack and facilitate, and they don’t have to worry about an extra defender because my defender will stay on me because of my 3-point ability as well. That’s the kind of stuff I’m looking forward to.
What are some of your goals?
Definitely going right into this year is Rookie of the Year. I don’t think that’s out of my reach at all. If I should play the way I’m capable of, there is no question I should be in that conversation. But ultimately, wherever I go, I just want to help that team win. Winning is the most important thing for me and I know that with what comes with that is those individual accolades and just being able to do that and work for those types of goals is very important to me.
How would you rate your competitiveness?
I would say an 11 out of 10. I’m so competitive when it comes to playing and winning. I never want to lose and if I fall short, I’ll go right back at it. So just bringing that competitiveness and that personality to a team will be big. That’s just something that makes me such a special player.
How would you describe your personality?
I would say it’s a very joyful but passionate person. Obviously, if you do the right things playing in a competitive game, you can get me fired up. But at the same time, just being a very joyful guy and enjoying the process and embracing it all because this is what I love to do every day.
Report: Duke’s Kyle Filipowski had predraft visit with Thunder.
The calendar has flipped to June, which means NBA teams are intensifying their predraft process and hosting players for workouts and visits. The 2024 NBA draft will take place from June 26-27.
The Oklahoma City Thunder enter this year’s class with a sole draft pick of the No. 12 selection. OKC was gifted the free lottery pick via the Houston Rockets.
The Thunder have hosted several meetings with draft prospects in the past few weeks. This includes players outside the lottery range as OKC will likely seek to add undrafted free agents or even buy back into the second round if it likes someone enough.
One possibility is Duke’s Kyle Filipowski. He confirmed to Heavy Sports reporter Alder Almo he had a predraft visit with the Thunder.
The 20-year-old played in two college seasons with Duke from 2022-24. He was a starter and one of the best players for the Blue Devils during his tenure.
In 36 games last season, Filipowski averaged 16.4 points on 50.5% shooting, 8.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists. He shot 34.8% from 3 on 3.1 attempts. He also averaged 1.5 blocks and 1.1 steals. At 6-foot-11, 248 pounds, he has great size for a center.
Filipowski could be a serious option for the Thunder at the 12th pick. He’d slide into OKC’s backup center role and could start as the power forward. He fits the Thunder’s mold of being an offensive versatile big.
A full list of 2024 NBA draft prospects that have worked out or visited the Thunder in the predraft process can be viewed here.
