Cooper Flagg put together a spectacular freshman season at Duke before becoming the No. 1 pick in this past June’s NBA Draft.
Now Cameron Boozer has arrived on campus, and it’s only natural that fans and media have started drawing parallels between the two.
Duke head coach Jon Scheyer, however, has a different comparison in mind—one he considers more fitting. Speaking with Jon Rothstein on the Inside College Basketball podcast, Scheyer likened Boozer to former Blue Devil and current Orlando Magic star Paolo Banchero.
“He’s like Paolo from a body perspective,” Scheyer explained. “There are differences in their games for sure, but Paolo, when he stepped on the floor, always knocked people back with how big he was. I think Cam has the ability to do the same thing. He’s always been the biggest guy on the floor, and now he gets a chance to play with Pat (Ngongba) and Maliq (Brown), where he won’t be the biggest guy. That’s a huge advantage for him—using his size while also having the ball skills of a guard.”
It’s a notable observation. For one, it relieves Boozer of the unfair burden of being cast as Flagg’s replacement. Both are unique players with distinct strengths.
And while Banchero has already proven himself as a dominant presence heading into his fourth NBA season, he too represents a singular talent.
So does Boozer.
Scheyer’s real message seems clear: Boozer doesn’t need to be Flagg, Banchero, or anyone else. He has the tools to define his own path.
That said, Boozer faces a particularly unusual dynamic—he’ll inevitably be measured not just against Flagg and Banchero, but also his father, Carlos Boozer, who starred for Duke in the early 2000s.
Yet Cameron Boozer is not simply a copy of his dad either; his game carries a different profile and skill set.
Chances are, the early part of the season will see the media attempt to label him—first as the “next Flagg,” then as his father’s heir, and maybe even as a Banchero-like hybrid.
But Scheyer understands the importance of resisting those easy labels, and given Boozer’s upbringing as the son of a Duke great, he likely already knows not to let comparisons define him.
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