Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson share uncommon tie before UNC-Duke matchup originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The latest chapter of college basketball’s fiercest rivalry will carry an unexpected storyline Saturday night when the Duke Blue Devils visits the North Carolina Tar Heels in Chapel Hill.
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For the first time in nearly four decades, the rivalry features a true head-to-head matchup of elite NBA Draft prospects from the same class. Duke freshman Cameron Boozer and North Carolina freshman Caleb Wilson are the next wave of NBA lottery picks.
What makes it more compelling is that the two were once teammates.
Boozer and Wilson played together in Nike EYBL during their final AAU season with Nightrydas Elite. Wilson began that summer with a different EYBL program, struggled to find consistency and faced growing perception that his stock was slipping. He switched teams midstream and joined a loaded Nightrydas roster that included Boozer, Florida guard Alex Lloyd and Miami wing Dante Allen. The move proved pivotal and boosted Wilson, placing him alongside one of the most dependable winners in the country.
Boozer, who finished No. 3 in the 247Sports composite rankings, did not arrive with the same buzz as Kansas freshman Darryn Peterson or BYU star AJ Dybantsa. But his impact has been undeniable. Boozer’s physicality, footwork and patience in the post have translated immediately, and his passing forces opposing defenses into uncomfortable choices. He has been better than expected, even as other elite freshmen around the country have also exceeded projections.
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Wilson brings a contrasting edge. He plays with the energy of a walk-on despite blue-chip credentials, pairing elite athleticism with defensive versatility and relentless effort. NBA evaluators view his game as highly translatable, and his emergence has positioned him as North Carolina’s best draft prospect in two decades.
If both freshmen land in the top five this summer, it would mark the rivalry’s most significant prospect duel since 1989, when Duke’s Danny Ferry and North Carolina’s J.R. Reid shared the stage.
