Cameron Boozer, No. 1 prospect in the country, is the 2023 Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year
Sophomore Cameron Boozer, the son of former NBA player Carlos Boozer, was named the 2023 Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year on Wednesday. It's one of the most prestigious high school basketball awards in the country, and Boozer is only the second sophomore in the program's history to win the award for boys basketball (Emoni Bates won as a sophomore in 2020).
He joins the ranks of Jayson Tatum, Karl-Anthony Towns, Kevin Love, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, who all won the award as high school seniors. Past winners have combined to produce five NBA MVPs awards, 76 All-Star appearances, 14 NBA championships, 28 NBA first-round draft selections and three Hall of Famers.
Kansas guard Gradey Dick won the award in 2022 and is a projected lottery pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.
"It's crazy to be included in such a talented group of players," Boozer told Yahoo Sports. "All the past players have had great careers in the NBA, and it's kind of surreal to be included in a list with all those guys."
Love surprised Boozer with the award Tuesday afternoon in the gym at Christopher Columbus High School outside of Miami in front of Boozer's family, high school coaches and teammates.
"I was definitely surprised," Boozer said. "We were told we were getting measured for our [state championship] rings, and then Kevin Love just walked in with the trophy, so the whole thing was kind of crazy."
Boozer, 15, is regarded as the top high school prospect in the country, regardless of class. At 6-foot-9, he burst onto the scene last spring playing alongside his twin brother, Cayden, in Nike's Elite Youth Basketball League and made a statement in front of several NBA scouts at Nike's Peach Jam, averaging 22.5 points, 12.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists over the summer.
"I just want to show NBA scouts that I'm a winner, I love winning, and I love helping my team win most importantly," Boozer said. "Every time I step on the court, I want to improve and just show [NBA scouts] different aspects of my game."
Boozer's high school team, Christopher Columbus, had a packed national schedule this year, and the twin sophomores made their presence known against older, tougher competition, facing D.J. Wagner, the top senior point guard heading to Kentucky, and Sierra Canyon and Bronny James. Cameron and his brother Cayden play well above their years and came out with the win in both matchups.
"Both Cameron and his brother stay settled, they don't get rattled much, and Cameron, at such a young age, continues to be a leader and bring our guys together throughout the game," head coach Andrew Moran told Yahoo Sports in January. "He's a big part of our success and is just a player that wants to get better every single day."
Boozer led the Explorers to a 26-4 record and the Class 7A state championship this past season. He averaged 21.1 points, 11.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2 blocks per game, including a 13-point, 12-rebound performance in a 50-48 win over Winter Haven High in the state final.
Cameron and Cayden both hold early offers from Duke, Florida State, Miami, Michigan and Arkansas. The pair plan on making a few visits this spring and summer, but nothing has been set up yet. One school thought to be the favorite is Duke, where their father played in college.
"Duke is a great program and they're one of those places that have a lot of pros coming out of there," Cameron said of the Blue Devils. "Everything they do on the court just kind of shows me who they are, and, historically, they've just been great in general."
Cameron will kick off his AAU season on Nike's EYBL circuit April 21-23 and will be playing with Nightrydas' 16-under teams this year with his brother.
