Cameron Boozer goes off for career-high 35 points with dad Carlos Boozer courtside originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Highly touted Duke freshman forward Cameron Boozer lived up to the hype and then some with a career-high 35 points as the No. 4 Duke Blue Devils (4-0) breezed past the Indiana State Sycamores (2-2), 100-62 at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C, Friday night.
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Boozer executed at a high level in all phases – dominant interior scoring, outlet passing, rebounding and sound offense. The freshman put together what can be argued as the best first half of the young season with 23 points, on 9-of-10 from the field. The one miss Boozer had turned into his own offensive rebound – a sign it was the freshman’s night to delight the home crowd.
Duke legend and 2001 national champion Carlos Boozer, Cameron’s father was courtside to witness the generational performance.
The all-around performance was more than points as the freshman phenom added 12 rebounds, five assists, three blocks and three steals in 28 minutes of action.
Boozer became the first major conference freshman with 30 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and one or fewer turnovers since Syracuse’s Carmelo Anthony accomplished the feat in 2003 per ESPN’s Jeff Borzello.
Boozer appeared in arm’s distance of passing Cooper Flagg’s all-time Duke freshman scoring record at 42 against Notre Dame last season, but would be pulled late in the second half by coach Jon Scheyer.
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The Blue Devils rest this weekend before their toughest of the season comes along with the No. 25 Kansas Jayhawks at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 18 in the Champions Classic.
In a talented freshman class highlighted by Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, BYU forward AJ Dybantsa, North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson, Tennessee forward Nate Ament and Louisville guard Mikel Brown Jr. – Boozer could be the one to pull away from the rest of the pack if performances like Friday night becomes more of the norm.
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