Duke basketball typically doesn’t fly under the radar, especially after a Final Four appearance and boasting the top recruiting class in 2025. Nevertheless, five-star freshman Cameron Boozer, son of former NBA star Carlos Boozer and the reigning Gatorade National Player of the Year, asserts that the Blue Devils have room to prove themselves.

“I think we’re very overlooked right now, but once the season starts, that’ll change for sure,” Boozer shared with ESPN.

Despite being underappreciated? With less than 100 days until the 2025–26 season begins, Duke is listed with the third-best odds (+1300) to capture the national title, trailing only Purdue (+900) and Houston (+1000), per FanDuel Sportsbook.

This assertion highlights the serious ambition and determination that Duke’s freshman class, including Cameron Boozer—the No. 1 power forward and No. 3 overall recruit in the 2025 class according to 247Sports—brings to the upcoming season. He joins fellow five-star recruits Nikolas Khamenia and Dame Sarr at Duke.

Together with his twin brother, Cayden Boozer, a top-25 recruit and an excellent playmaker at point guard, the Blue Devils possess one of the most formidable freshman classes nationwide.

“We have a massive chip on our shoulder because we know we have the talent and the team to be the best in the country, and I genuinely believe we will achieve that,” Cameron explained to ESPN. “So, that criticism that we’re not the team we were last year fuels us. We’re confident everyone will recognize our effort once the season kicks off, but we’re not overly anxious about the hype.”

Last season, Duke reached its second Final Four in four years, marking the first under coach Jon Scheyer, who took over from Mike Krzyzewski following his retirement at the end of the 2021-22 season.

While Duke continues to be a prominent name in national discussions, the team seeks its first national title since 2015, the longest championship drought since Coach K guided the Blue Devils to back-to-back titles in 1991 and 1992.