Why expert views Duke’s Cameron Boozer as better NBA prospect than Cooper Flagg

Darryn Peterson and AJ Dybantsa continue to go back-and-forth as the likely No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, but Duke star forward Cameron Boozer tops each of them as the most impactful player in college basketball. Boozer’s sustained dominance has been impressive enough to lead some to believe that he might already be better than former Blue Devils star and recent No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg.

Given the situations both players inherited at Duke and the level of success achieved, CBS Sports college basketball analyst Matt Norlander called Boozer a “better” prospect than Flagg. Norlander pointed to Boozer being tasked with leading a less experienced squad and posting better numbers as the reason he views the freshman as a better one-and-done player.

“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,” Norlander said. “Flagg had more talent around him — Duke lost its starting five to the NBA. What Boozer is being asked to do — he is shouldering more than Flagg did a year ago — but in terms of production and value, all-around, Boozer has managed to usurp Cooper Flagg.”

"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

Boozer is averaging 22.5 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game entering March, leading the team in all three categories. He also posts 1.7 steals and 0.6 blocks per game while shooting 57.7 percent from the floor and 40.2 percent from three-point range.

Flagg became the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft after posting 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.4 blocks per game in his freshman season. Those numbers led to him earning the ACC Player of the Year, the Julius Erving Award, the Naismith Award and the Wooden Award in his lone season in Durham.

Duke’s historic Cameron Boozer, Cooper Flagg era

Although Boozer still has one month remaining in his inaugural college basketball season, he is trending toward a similar collection of hardware at the end of the year. The 18-year-old is the runaway favorite to win the Naismith and Wooden Awards, while slowly closing the gap on Peterson and Dybantsa in the No. 1 pick conversation.

Regardless of which player is better, Duke has benefited from two of the best freshman seasons in college basketball history in back-to-back years. Flagg and Boozer each constructed two of the best single-season campaigns in program history to exceed their lofty expectations out of the gate.

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