February 22, 2026<\/a><\/p>\nWant a synopsis from Saturday? Not to oversimplify things, but the best player in college basketball simply proved too much for the best team in college basketball.<\/p>\n
In other words, Duke had Cameron Boozer \u2014 and Michigan had no answer for him.<\/p>\n
A tale as old as time. The same script from Duke\u2019s eight previous ranked wins, but really, every game so far this season.<\/p>\n
If anything was different against the Wolverines, it was only that Boozer saved his best for when he was already saddled with four fouls, in the final four minutes, with Duke desperately clinging to a 1-point lead.<\/p>\n
After picking up his second and third personal fouls in two minutes early in the second half, Boozer picked up his pivotal fourth with just under nine minutes to play. And given his importance, Scheyer had no choice but to sideline his best player and hope the rest of the Blue Devils could hang on to Duke\u2019s then-5-point lead. Which they did, between Nik Khamenia\u2019s surprising nine rebounds off the bench, Maliq Brown\u2019s rim protection and an overall defensive effort that held a top-10 offense to 28.6 percent shooting in the second half.<\/p>\n
When Boozer checked back in with 4:47 left, Michigan had cut into its deficit by \u2026 1 point.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously, when Boozer goes out, you\u2019ve got to figure out a way to capitalize,\u201d May said, \u201cand we weren\u2019t able to do that for a number of reasons.\u201d<\/p>\n
And then, despite being one wrong push or bump away from fouling out, Boozer called game. A key defensive rebound, part of Duke\u2019s overall 41-28 edge on the glass that constitutes a new season-worst for Michigan. Then an offensive rebound, and timing his second shot perfectly so as to draw a fourth foul on Michigan\u2019s 7-foot-3 center, Aday Mara. (And, of course, he made both free throws thereafter.) Then a 3, after the Wolverines made it a one-possession game, to push Duke\u2019s cushion back to 6. And one last basket with 1:01 left, the Blue Devils\u2019 final make of the game.<\/p>\n
Boozer was not perfect, with the shot-blocking Mara meeting him at the rim on more than one occasion. But players this great \u2014 especially ones with NBA All-Star fathers \u2014 understand that\u2019s part of the process.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomething we said before the game was, if Mara doesn\u2019t get a block tonight, we\u2019re not doing what we\u2019re supposed to do,\u201d Boozer said. \u201cOur job every night is to put pressure on their rim, put pressure under their defense, make them have to adjust to us. I feel like we did that a lot this game.\u201d<\/p>\n
And to be clear, Boozer didn\u2019t go it alone in that respect. Sophomore center Patrick Ngongba Jr., playing with a less-than-perfect left wrist, scored 11 points and grabbed the de facto game-sealing offensive rebound with 22 seconds left. Junior guard Caleb Foster got downhill as well as he has in any game this season, dropping 12 points and four assists \u2014 none bigger than when he collapsed Michigan\u2019s interior defense with under two minutes left, before pivoting and kicking to Boozer for his 3.<\/p>\n
Everyone on Duke played their part, almost to a tee.<\/p>\n
But that includes Boozer\u2019s being all-world \u2014 and even Michigan\u2019s vaunted front line, and its top-ranked defense, couldn\u2019t seriously slow him.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis physicality,\u201d May added, \u201cis impressive.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s become easy, amid Boozer\u2019s stupendous campaign, to almost take his counting stats and impact for granted. To become numb to his greatness. But after what he did Saturday \u2014 and whom he did it to, especially \u2014 you can almost feel the spotlight on the 6-foot-10 forward brightening in real time.<\/p>\n
Because if Boozer can do that to that team?<\/p>\n
Well, whom can\u2019t Duke beat?<\/p>\n
Scheyer has said often that February is for \u201celevating.\u201d His team is becoming the best version of itself. And especially in the margins, you can see that transpiring. Khamenia went from playing only three minutes in a loss at rival North Carolina earlier this month to being one of the most consequential players on the court Saturday. Dame Sarr continues to be a defensive pterodactyl, smothering the point-of-attack with his 7-foot wingspan. That process isn\u2019t linear, but it\u2019s undoubtedly underway.<\/p>\n
Duke is, indeed, elevating.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe still can get a lot better, but I think we\u2019ve done that,\u201d Scheyer said. \u201cThis was just the next step in order to prove that. To show it.\u201d<\/p>\n
And to remind the world that, with the best player in the country on its roster, Duke is as capable of cutting down the nets in April as any team out there.<\/p>\n
One last thing on Boozer, before the impact of this moment softens: The 18-year-old has been, like most teenagers, uncomfortable singing his own praises. And with so many others doing it for him, there\u2019s really been no reason to. Let the game do the talking.<\/p>\n
But for the first time all season, on Saturday, Boozer let one slip. A subtle reminder to the college basketball universe of what he\u2019s capable of \u2014 and where he\u2019s capable of taking his team.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn my mind is making winning plays, helping our team win. I feel like I did that tonight,\u201d Boozer said. \u201cAnd if I do that, my talent, my game, is gonna show just from making winning plays. That\u2019s what makes me great.\u201d<\/p>\n