Duke Star Cameron Boozer Dominates During Jon Scheyer’s Chicago Homecoming

Jon Scheyer went home for the holidays.

The Duke head coach, who grew up in the northern suburbs of Chicago, led his basketball squad to an 80-71 win against Arkansas at the United Center — the home of the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks — on Thanksgiving night.

“They love being in Chicago,” said Scheyer, who closed his high school career as the fourth-leading scorer in Illinois basketball history with 3,034 points.

Though his team enjoyed a more traditional Thanksgiving dinner Wednesday night, it had a traditional Chicago meal set for Thursday night.

Their planned postgame meal, following the CBS Sports Thanksgiving Classic, was deep-dish pizza from Lou Malnati’s.

“Good vibes,” Cameron Boozer said, “but it’s not New York pizza.”

Despite the dig on a Chicago staple from the Duke freshman star, Thursday night’s game was also a homecoming of sorts for the Boozer family, though Cameron hails from Miami.

Cameron’s father, Carlos, played for Bulls from 2010-2014, starting in 280 contests, and Cameron was often in attendance.

“(He) went to a lot of games,” Cameron’s mother, CeCe, exclusively shared.

Indeed, Cameron looked like he belonged in the United Center

“I’m just thankful to be in this city,” he said. “It’s a nice arena.”

Boozer Dominates at Familiar United Center Environs

Cameron tied a career-high with 35 points — along with grabbing nine rebounds and drawing seven fouls on Arkansas.

He closed the game, too, after Duke had relinquished its six-point halftime lead, scoring nine points in the last 6:13.

“Cameron was a beast,” Arkansas head coach John Calipari said.

Carlos — through whom Cameron has said he has learned to live in the moment — was on hand to witness his son’s spectacular performance.

Wearing a satin Duke jacket, Carlos reconnected with United Center staffers before the game, introducing them to Carmani, his one son who is not on the current Duke team.

Carlos was then introduced to the United Center crowd by the public-address announcer with 7:20 left in the first half and serenaded with a “Booz” chant.

It didn’t always look like it was going to be such a joyous holiday night for the Boozer family.

Cameron actually got off to a rough start.

He turned it over on the game’s very first possession and missed a shot on Duke’s second offensive play. Scheyer even benched him for a good chunk of the first half.

But Cameron then erupted with fewer than seven minutes left in the first stanza.

He hit a three-point shot. On the next possession, he finished over 6-10 senior Trevon Brazile (answering critics who had said the freshman’s one weakness was going against length). Cameron followed that with a steal and assist on a dunk to Dame Sarr. Cameron’s ensuing three-pointer made it a 10-point game.

Though Cameron is clearly quite prodigious for a freshman, Scheyer said his decision-making and ability to play through contact continues to improve.

Calipari praised the latter skill.

“As soon as he figured out: I can put my shoulder into this guy’s chest and move him,” Calipari said, “that’s all he did.”

Michael Jordan’s House

Cameron’s physicality is reminiscent of Carlos, a burly power forward and two-time All-Star.

Carlos may have played at the United Center, but it’s, of course, known as the stadium Michael Jordan built because it opened in 1994, the year after Jordan led the Bulls to their last title of their first three-peat.

Jordan’s company just announced that Cameron has become a paid sponsor of the Jordan Brand, an offshoot of Nike.

Along with his twin brother and Duke guard Cayden Boozer, Cameron has joined former Duke stars Zion Williamson, Jayson Tatum, Paolo Banchero and Kon Knueppel as prominent players promoting the Jordan Brand.

Those other players are in the NBA, and Cameron showed the skills Thursday night that almost certainly will lead him to join them in the league next year as a lottery pick.

For the time being, he’s enjoying being a college player at the program where his dad starred.

His current Duke team bonded over a pre-Thanksgiving meal Wednesday — the night before the progam’s second game in Chicago in the four years Scheyer’s been head coach.

“All their families, all my family, our coaches’ families, just a big celebration,” Scheyer said. “It’s really what matters the most.”