CHAPEL HILL \u2014 They were teammates and champions in the summer of 2024 and, by this time next year, they\u2019ll be NBA rookies grinding against established veterans to establish their place in the league, to earn victories and, maybe, to win rookie of the year honors.<\/p>\n
Right now, however, Duke\u2019s Cameron Boozer and North Carolina\u2019s Caleb Wilson are about to play for the first time in college basketball\u2019s biggest and best rivalry as two of the best freshmen in the country.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019ll definitely have a big impact on my legacy,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cI feel like that\u2019s something that\u2019s really important to me and, like said before, honestly, nobody cares unless you win.\u201d<\/p>\n
No. 4 Duke (21-1 overall, 10-0 in the ACC) won all three meetings with the Tar Heels last season. No. 14 North Carolina (18-4, 6-3) swept the Blue Devils in two meetings in 2023-24. Wilson attended the first meeting that season in Chapel Hill and was in the locker room for the celebration that included pouring water on coach Hubert Davis.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was exhilarating,\u201d Wilson said.<\/p>\n
The game is Saturday at 6:30 p.m. in Chapel Hill. ESPN\u2019s College GameDay will broadcast from the Dean E. Smith Center earlier in the day.<\/p>\n
Wilson, Cameron Boozer and Duke point guard Cayden Boozer were teammates on Nightrydas Elite and won the Peach Jam championship in 2024, a Nike showcase for the top high school players in the country. In the title game, they defeated a team led by AJ Dybantsa, now a star freshman at BYU.<\/p>\n
Cameron Boozer, Wilson and Dybantsa are just part of the high-performing and deep freshmen class that has taken over college basketball this season \u2014 is likely to make its impact on the NBA Draft this summer.<\/p>\n
Wilson, a 6-foot-9 forward, leads the Tar Heels in points (20.0 per game), rebounds (9.8 per game), steals (34 total) and blocked shots (29 total).<\/p>\n
\u201cReally good competitor,\u201d Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. \u201cObviously, he\u2019s an explosive athlete. He\u2019s dynamic. He can do a lot of different things on offense and defense. But the competitiveness, I think, has been high level and the ability to impact winning in a bunch of different ways has been really impressive.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cameron Boozer, a 6-9 forward, leads the Blue Devils in points (23.3 per game), rebounds (9.9 per game), assists (89 total) and steals (42 total).<\/p>\n
\u201cCameron is an amazing player,\u201d Davis said. \u201cHis ability to be able to score in many different ways \u2014 around the basket, getting fouled, get to the free throw line, threes. He\u2019s an excellent passer. So he\u2019s one of the best basketball players in the country.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wilson said he and Boozer were definitely close, bonded forever through winning the national championship at the Peach Jam, and still talk occasionally. They haven\u2019t talked this week.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe just plays smart, a really cerebral guy,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cHe\u2019s not going to be rushed or anything like that. He just plays basketball in a very mature way.\u201d<\/p>\n