Cameron Boozer vs. Caleb Wilson Has Duke–UNC Rivalry Heating Up

Men’s college basketball is always better when Duke and North Carolina are at their best, isn’t it?

But for the two rivals separated by less than 11 miles in North Carolina’s Research Triangle, it hasn’t always been that way lately. While Duke has gone a step further in the NCAA Tournament in each of Jon Scheyer’s previous three seasons on the job in Durham — capturing two conference tournament crowns along the way — results for Hubert Davis in Chapel Hill have been a mixed bag.

The Tar Heels missed the NCAA Tournament all together in 2023, only to rebound in 2024 and grab a No. 1 seed in March Madness despite losing to rival NC State in the title game of the ACC Tournament. This time last season, UNC was saddled with an 8-5 record, but went 1-5 against Power 4 opponents in their non-conference slate. The Tar Heels went into Selection Sunday feeling nervous with a so-so resume, but got into the field of 68 as one of the last four teams in.

Entering his fifth season at the helm since taking the reins of the Tar Heels from Roy Williams, the expectations were raised for Davis and the money faucet to acquire talent was turned on by those with deep pockets around Chapel Hill. The message was simple: Resources to win in this new era of college sports were given to Davis, and now he had to prove he could build a winning team.

So far, he’s proving he can.

The Tar Heels head into ACC play this season — which begins for them on Tuesday at home in the Dean Dome against Florida State — with a 12-1 record and a No. 12 ranking in the AP Top 25 Poll. And this time, their resume is mighty impressive, as the Heels have pocketed non-conference victories over Kansas, Kentucky, Georgetown and Ohio State. The lone blemish on their record is a neutral site loss to Michigan State.

Meanwhile, Duke looks to have the makings of a Final Four contender again. Ranked sixth in the latest AP Poll, the Blue Devils are 11-1 with wins over Tennessee, Texas, Kansas, Arkansas, Florida and Michigan State. Their only loss came at the hands of fellow top 25 team Texas Tech on a neutral court. For Duke, ACC play begins Wednesday at Cameron Indoor Stadium against Georgia Tech.

The catalyst for this early-season success for both UNC and Duke has been the incredible play of stellar rookies.

For Duke, it’s been Cameron Boozer. For North Carolina, Caleb Wilson.

Boozer is a player who came into this season with a ton of hype around him and he’s more than delivered. The son of former Duke national champion and two-time NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer, he’s widely projected to be a top five selection in the 2026 NBA Draft. Boozer leads the nation in scoring this season with 23.2 points per game, and he’s also pulling down 10 rebounds and dishing out four assists per game, doing a little bit of everything for the Blue Devils and doing it very well.

“He's under such control and he does such a good job… His whole demeanor, and maybe it's his bloodlines with his dad, and maybe it's Jon doing a hell of a job, and maybe the kid is just a special player,” Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said of Boozer. “But when he can beat you with the pass, the dribble, the rebound, and the three-point shot. There aren't many guys that we've ever played against.

Wilson could join Boozer as a lottery pick this summer. A 6-foot-10 five-star prospect from Atlanta, Ga., Wilson is averaging 19.6 points and an ACC-leading 10.8 rebounds per game. He recently matched UNC legend Phil Ford as the only Tar Heel freshmen to score at least 20 points in five consecutive games. Like Boozer, he does everything for his team, as Wilson leads UNC in scoring, rebounding, offensive rebounds, steals, blocks and free throws made.

“I haven't seen many players like him in college basketball in probably 15 years," Georgetown coach Ed Cooley said of Wilson. "He's a hell of a talent. I see him being an NBA All-Star. He has the ability to make pro moves. Athletic, long, incredible rebounder, plays in transition. He reminds me a lot of Tracy McGrady."

Another UNC great – Tyler Hansbrough – was the last rookie to lead the Tar Heels in scoring and rebounding. Wilson finds himself in good company statistically, and he’s wowed fans with his dunks and has seduced them with his swagger and personality. He couldn’t have endeared himself to North Carolina fans more than when, back in September, he proclaimed: “I don’t like Duke, I don’t like NC State, I don’t like Wake Forest. This year, we’re putting a belt on everybody.”

That was before Wilson had even taken a dribble in Carolina Blue. So far, he’s backing it up.

Louisville and Virginia are also ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll entering the New Year, and first-year NC State coach Will Wade has promised a “reckoning” and has the Wolfpack sitting at 9-4 after a victory over Ole Miss. After getting a historic low four teams into the NCAA Tournament last year, the ACC hopes that the rising tides of Boozer and Wilson can lift the rest of the league’s boats.

Go ahead and circle your calendars for when the two standout forwards meet: Feb. 7 in Chapel Hill and March 7 in Durham. Which team is better remains unclear, but on-court fireworks are a guarantee.