Cameron Boozer Earns Praise From Teammate

Basketball season is right around the corner, and it will be on our TV's before we know at both the pro and college levels. While Duke has opened up practices already for the 2026-27 season, the NBA will be underway soon as well.

Teams hosted media days this past week and it gave fans a chance to see the roster for the first time ahead of the preseason. It also gives players a chance to meet the media and discuss the offseason as well as what they expect for the upcoming season.

In Memphis, the story is former Duke star Cameron Boozer .

The rookie was selected No. 3 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft by the Memphis Grizzlies back in June. They hope that Boozer can be a star player for the franchise, especially after they made moves this offseason including trading Ja Morant. The Boozer era will officially begin in a few weeks when the regular season tips off.

Before then, he's earned some praise from national analysts, former teammates and current teammates.

The latest is former Virginia guard Ty Jerome who spoke highly of Boozer at media day this week. Jerome has been in the league for a few years now, so he's played with a lot of different players. His praise for Boozer was not only his skill-set but his mindset as well.

Jerome says he believes Boozer has to be one of the most mature 19-year-olds he's seen so far. He points to both on and off the court and says he has a great feel for the game already.

Duke fans saw that maturity for one season with the Blue Devils. Boozer arrived as a five-star recruit, and early on, he became a leader for that team. The forward showcased what he can do not only on the floor but off the floor as well.

Boozer will have pressure on him to deliver early in his rookie year. The expectations are high for him and Memphis hopes he can prove them right early. With this being such a loaded draft class, Boozer could end up being the best player among the prospects.

Last season, Memphis won just 25 games and it forced them to make some big moves in the offseason. That was headlined by trading Morant and trying to build around a young core again that is centered on Boozer, among others.