Cayden Boozer and the Duke Blue Devils closed the 2025-26 college basketball season with a loss, falling to Alex Karaban and the No. 2 seed UConn Huskies in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. It was a game Boozer will likely want to forget, as his late turnover led to Braylon Mullins’ game-winning shot with under a second remaining.
Still, Boozer was a key piece for the Blue Devils during his freshman season, even stepping into the starting lineup during March Madness after guard Caleb Foster went down with an injury. In 38 games, including 11 starts, Boozer averaged 7.7 points on 50.0% shooting, 2.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 22.8 minutes per game. Despite the disappointing end to the season, Boozer is set to return to Durham for 2026-27, where he will be joined by a former Big Ten star.
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John Blackwell, a 6-foot-4 junior guard out of Brother Rice High School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, was a three-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting class (247Sports). While his overall ranking was not particularly high coming out of high school, he was ranked as the No. 29 combo guard in his class and the No. 3 prospect in the state of Michigan.
Blackwell spent his first three college seasons with the Wisconsin Badgers, earning an immediate role off the bench as a freshman. He saw his minutes increase in each of the next two seasons, with this past year marking his best, as he averaged career highs of 19.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while earning third-team All-Big Ten honors.
But following his junior year, Blackwell entered the NCAA transfer portal, looking to take his talents elsewhere for his senior season. And on Tuesday, he announced on social media that he will be joining Duke, choosing the Blue Devils over UCLA, Illinois and Arizona.
"Let’s do it! #TheBrotherhood," Blackwell wrote on Instagram.
Boozer quickly took notice of his new teammate’s decision, sending a message to Blackwell in the comments with four devil emojis: “😈😈😈😈.”
Duke fans have reason to be excited for the 2026-27 season, but they are still awaiting decisions from two of their biggest stars, including Boozer’s twin brother, Cameron Boozer, who is expected to head to the NBA, and guard Isaiah Evans.
