Cameron Boozer walked off the court in Indianapolis knowing his Duke career was almost certainly over. The projected top-five pick in the 2026 NBA Draft watched UConn pull away in the second half of the Final Four, leaving the Blue Devils one win short of a national-title game and starting the clock on his professional future.
"Um, I mean, I think we fought hard," Boozer said. "We gave a lot, but I think as a whole, we could have gave a lot more in the second half. We came out a little flat, gave them a little bit of life. And when you're playing a team as good as UConn, that's all they really need."
The loss was bitter for a team that had built its season around a freshman class anchored by Boozer. Duke head coach Jon Scheyer revamped the roster after five players departed for the NBA or transfer portal, then reloaded with five newcomers and five returning veterans. Boozer credited Scheyer with pulling the group together fast enough to reach the program's first Final Four since 2022.
"Honestly, this whole year, it's been a huge blessing," Boozer said. "I came here and I learned so much. From our players, not even just from the coaches — you know, our whole players, man. We're such a connected group. I love those guys. We work so hard all year. And then just the coaches, the way they coached us, they brought us together. Taught us to fight, taught us to play together. I learned so much this year. I'm never going to take it for granted. I'm just super thankful for it all."
Boozer carved out space in his press conference to thank the teammates who played through serious injuries in the closing weeks of March. His voice softened when he spoke about forwards and guards who climbed out of the medical room to give Duke a chance against UConn.
"I'm hurting right now. We're all hurting," Boozer said. "I wish I could have gave more for those guys. You know, Caleb, Pat, Malik — everyone's hurting, dealing with injuries, coming in playing. It took a lot of heart. It took a lot of balls to do that. So I'm just proud of them. Proud of our team."
UConn head coach Dan Hurley, whose program returned to the Final Four for a third time in four years, made a point of praising the Duke freshmen. "John's an amazing coach and those Boozer boys are I mean they're the toughest people I think I've ever shared the court with," Hurley said after the win. Hurley framed his own victory in cultural terms that have become part of UConn's identity. "Yeah, just the — it's the UConn culture. It's a UConn heart. It's what Geno built and Coach Calhoun built and what Kevin Ollie carried on. And you know, we just believe we're supposed to win this time of year. We were so courageous today and we just fought so hard and they're an incredible team."
NBA scouts in attendance had already spent the weekend comparing notes on Boozer's next move. His combination of perimeter skill, interior footwork and a physique inherited from his father, two-time NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer, has cemented him as a top-five projection for the June draft alongside BYU's AJ Dybantsa and Arkansas's Darryn Peterson. Boozer's pre-draft process is expected to include workouts with franchises holding top-10 picks after the Tankathon-projected lottery order shakes out in May.
For the Duke freshman, the immediate focus was the room that had just finished its one-year run together. "I learned so much this year," he said. "I'm never going to take it for granted."
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*Originally published on [NBA News](https://nbanews.global/article/cameron-boozer-duke-final-four-loss-uconn-nba-draft-2026). Visit for full coverage.*
