Overview
- Boozer accepted national awards in Indianapolis on Sunday and said he has “a couple of” fractures around his eye that he will treat without surgery.
- The injury came in the Elite Eight when UConn center Eric Reibe’s elbow hit him near the eye, and he still scored 27 points in a 73–72 defeat on Braylon Mullins’ 35‑foot buzzer‑beater.
- The Duke forward averaged 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists as a freshman and swept major national and ACC honors, giving Duke back‑to‑back Naismith winners after Cooper Flagg.
- He is widely projected as a top‑three to top‑five pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, with teams expected to study his medicals ahead of the May 10 lottery and the combine the same week.
- After the UConn loss, Boozer backed his twin brother Cayden against online blame for a late turnover and said one play was not why Duke lost.