Duke's Cayden Boozer faces biggest challenge against Rick Pitino's St. John's defense
With Caleb Foster out, the other Boozer twin has stepped into a critical starting role for the Blue Devils.
The biggest game of the year could come down to Boozer.
That's not exactly an unprecedented sentiment for Duke this season, but as the Blue Devils prepare for Rick Pitino and St. John's, we're not referring to Cameron Boozer. We're talking about his twin brother, Blue Devil point guard Cayden Boozer.
Cameron has been, by most accounts, the best player in college basketball this year. He's expected to be a top-three pick in June's NBA draft. Conversely, Cayden has come off the bench for Duke for the vast majority of the year and is not on any draft boards. The twin brothers have a maximum of four games left together before their careers are separated for the first time.
Up until this point, the Boozer twins have done nothing but assemble the greatest history of winning we've seen in recent high school basketball history, and extended that success to Duke with an ACC regular season and tournament championship.
For the Boozers to keep that streak going, and advance to the Elite Eight and contend for a National Championship, they will have to go through a generational coach best known for his intense, pressure defense.
The challenge of St. John's defense
Pitino patented the importance of defensive deflections. While that was once viewed as synonymous with his pressing system, it has become a commonality of whatever defensive schemes he has utilized over the years.
This season, they rank as the nation's eighth-best defense per KenPom.com. They force turnovers on 19% of their possessions and are even more adept at forcing opposing teams into tough shots, by playing with the type of force and physicality that is almost unmatched.
For Duke, that poses a clear challenge, especially without a fully healthy Caleb Foster, who is the team's starting point guard and most experienced player. Boozer has taken over the lead guard spot since Foster went down on March 7. The Blue Devils haven't lost a game in that span, including their ACC tournament championship. This St. John's team, however, is different, and thus the challenge would be unprecedented.
The spotlight turns to Cayden Boozer
So who exactly is Cayden Boozer the player? Not as Cameron's brother or half of the Boozer twins, but standing solely on his own merit.
Cayden is a big point guard. He has excellent positional size at 6-foot-4 and a strong body, but lacks ideal length or athleticism. He was ranked No. 23 by 247Sports in the 2025 class. He's also not a knockdown shooter, as he tends to push his release. He's historically been a very reliable decision-maker who distributes the ball while simultaneously making very good decisions. He lacks the quickness to be a ball-hawk defensively, but he's reliable and engaged, making Duke more efficient on that end when he was on the floor.
Most opponents tend to guard Cayden the same way. They dare him to shoot, first by going under ball-screens and then by helping far off him when he's off the ball. Cayden compensates by taking enough of those open threes to keep defenders honest. More subtly, though, he uses that space to get himself into the paint. He may not be an explosive leaper, but he's a very efficient finisher for a guard who understands how to use his body, has balance through contact, and good touch.
Cayden also utilizes that space to make his passing reads easier. When opposing defenders dare him to shoot, it gives him extra room that only makes it that much easier for him to use his size to see over the top of the defender, or set just the right angle on the ball screen.
Finally, he has a knack for making winning plays, and we've seen that recently when it matters most. Whether it's pulling down a critical offensive rebound in the ACC championship against Virginia, finding run-out lay-ups in the first round against Siena, or capitalizing on his chemistry with his brother, he understands how to find the small margins that can make a difference between winning and losing.
The bottom line is that Cayden Boozer may not be his brother, but he knows exactly who he is, and Duke doesn't win the ACC Tournament Championship or advance to the Sweet 16 without him. If they make it to the Elite 8, it will be because he is capable of handling the pressure from one of the best defense teams in the country and the defensive coaches of all time.
Looking ahead, when the 2025-26 season is wrapped, and Cameron is in the NBA, the real question for Cayden is what happens when he is judged exclusively on his own merit. That will start next season. There'll be more pressure on him, but he'll still be surrounded by elite college basketball talent, just not his All-American brother, with whom he has played his whole life. I'm not sure Cayden ever evolves into an offensive alpha, but he's someone who can run the show at Duke for years to come. He's mature, smart, understands how to use his size and strength, and is ultra-reliable with the ball in his hands.
