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By Megan Armstrong
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Cameron Boozer's durability was as impressive as his productivity.
The Duke star freshman forward started all 38 games for the 35-3 Blue Devils this season. Boozer led the team in points (22.5 per game), rebounds (10.2 per game), and assists (4.1 per game) en route to winning ACC Player of the Year, ACC Rookie of the Year, and All-ACC First Team honors.
Duke earned the No. 1 overall seed in the men's NCAA Tournament and was 10 seconds away from reaching the Final Four when No. 2 UConn pulled the rug out from under the Blue Devils. UConn freshman Braylon Mullins swished a three-pointer from the logo to defeat Duke 73-72 in the Elite Eight last Sunday.
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In the week since Duke's season came to an abrupt, heartbreaking end, Boozer has been named the AP men's college basketball Player of the Year and Naismith Men's Player of the Year.
Boozer accepted his Naismith Trophy and simultaneously dropped an injury bombshell on Sunday.
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According to Sports Illustrated's Bryan Fischer, Boozer said he suffered "a couple of fractures" around his eye against UConn but declined to have surgery.
The CBS broadcast of Duke's loss to UConn captured a Duke assistant holding a can of soda up to a welt forming beneath Boozer's right eye. "He's like a boxer that went to his corner," Ian Eagle said.
Boozer didn't specify when he suffered his facial fracture, but UConn freshman center Eric Riebe's elbow inadvertently hit Boozer in the face as Boozer went up for a layup in the waning minutes of the first half.
Boozer posted 27 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and two blocks in 39 minutes against UConn.
After the game, a visibly emotional Boozer told reporters, "I'm hurting right now. We’re all hurting. I wish I could’ve gave more for those guys."
The universal assumption is that Duke's loss to UConn was Boozer's last game at Duke. He's expected to declare for the 2026 NBA Draft, where he's projected to be a top-3 pick.
UConn will face No. 1 Michigan in the men's NCAA Tournament National Championship at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Monday. The game is scheduled to tip at 8:50 p.m. EST.
Injured eye or not, Boozer is not likely to watch.
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