How the Boozer twins’ commitment impacts Duke, Miami

Arguably the most intriguing head-to-head recruiting battle in the 2025 class came to an end Friday when brothers Cameron Boozer (ESPN 100 No. 2) and Cayden Boozer (ESPN 100 No. 17) announced they would play for the Duke Blue Devils over the Miami Hurricanes next season.

Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils ultimately won what was nearly a 2½-year recruiting process that began with a Duke offer (followed two weeks later by an offer from the Hurricanes).

It’s a testament to the Hurricanes’ ability to remain competitive for the twins down the stretch of their recruiting process. Early perception was the players would simply follow in their father Carlos Boozer’s footsteps and play at Duke — one of the biggest brands in college sports — rather than stay in the state of Florida, where they live, to attend the nearby program that went to the Final Four just 18 months ago.

How important of a recruiting win was this for Duke? What types of players are the Blue Devils getting? And what happens with the rest of Miami’s 2025 recruiting efforts? Let’s break it down.

Player styles and comparisons

Cameron Boozer: Ranked No. 2 in the ESPN 100 and the most fundamentally sound player in high school basketball, with a high basketball IQ. The 6-foot-9 power forward possesses an outlet pass reminiscent of Kevin Love, with the offensive polish of Paolo Banchero. He led the EYBL in points and rebounds per game, and he can influence the game in non-scoring areas when needed. He’s projected as a lottery pick in the 2026 NBA draft.

Cayden Boozer: Ranked No. 17 in the ESPN 100 and one of the best passers in the game, with a physical frame and a game resembling that of former ACC Player of the Year Tre Jones — also a former Blue Devil. The 6-5 point guard’s durability and organization of the offense while also being sound defensively are similar to Jones’ play. He also shows similarities in his game and demeanor to former Utah standout and NBA veteran Andre Miller. A no-nonsense and dependable guard with toughness and leadership, he was named MVP of the Peach Jam U16 championship game and led the U17 World Cup in assists per game. He is projected to be a first-round NBA draft pick.

What do the Boozer twins bring to Duke?

Winning. Cameron and Cayden are two of the most accomplished high school players ever, forming an elite inside-out duo that has impressed in high school and on the youth basketball circuit with Nightrydas Elite. They have won three consecutive state championships playing for Christopher Columbus High School in Miami, three Peach Jam championships and a pair of gold medals with USA Basketball.

Both are programmed to win, regardless of the platform or competition. They’re students of the game, they’re heavy film-watchers and they demonstrate poise in big moments.

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The Boozer brothers commit to Duke

Check out the stats behind Cameron and Cayden Boozer deciding to follow in their dad’s footsteps and play for Duke.

What does this commitment mean for Duke?

The Boozers are Scheyer’s first commitments in the 2025 class, and they are a pair of anchors around whom to build the rest of the group. The visitor list for last weekend’s Countdown to Craziness could provide some ideas there: Forwards Nate Ament (ESPN 100 No. 4) and Shelton Henderson (No. 30) and guard Acaden Lewis (No. 28) all visited Durham earlier this month. That said, it’s currently unclear whether Friday’s commitments will impact any of those pursuits.

Had Duke missed on Cameron Boozer, Koa Peat (No. 6) would have been the likely pivot; he’s scheduled a visit for later this month.

The Blue Devils are also in the mix for forward Nikolas Khamenia (No. 35), although UCLA is also all-in on the top-40 prospect.

On another note, the Boozers are the ninth and 10th five-star prospects to commit to Scheyer since he replaced Mike Krzyzewski in 2021.

Where does Miami turn to next in its recruiting?

It would have been a monumental coup had the Hurricanes been able to beat out Duke for the Boozers. Miami kept chipping away in the process, to the point that the recruitment genuinely could have gone either way entering its final days. It doesn’t quite soften the blow to the program, but Miami did land a commitment on Thursday from four-star center Ben Ahmed. He’s the second 2025 pickup for coach Jim Larrañaga, joining guard Matt Able (ESPN 100 No. 56).

The Hurricanes don’t have any other targets on the level of the Boozers, but they’ve done well in the transfer portal recently. They’ll likely need to be active in the spring with the expected departures of Nijel Pack and Jalil Bethea.