Duke’s Boozer Named ACC Tournament MVP Despite Tough Night Against Virginia

Duke freshman Cameron Boozer earned ACC Tournament MVP honors despite struggling against Virginia's Ugonna Onyenso in Saturday's championship game. Onyenso blocked four of Boozer's shots and set a tournament record with 21 total blocks, but Duke still won 74-70.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In Saturday night’s ACC Tournament championship game, Duke freshman Cameron Boozer repeatedly drove toward the basket with a conference title hanging in the balance. However, the star player encountered an unfamiliar challenge each time he attacked.

Virginia’s Ugonna Onyenso consistently rejected his attempts at the rim.

“Well,” Boozer acknowledged, “I definitely got frustrated.”

The matchup between the 6-foot-10, 250-pound Boozer and the 7-foot, 245-pound Onyenso became a central storyline as top-ranked Duke defeated No. 10 Virginia 74-70 to claim the ACC Tournament crown. Onyenso proved instrumental in limiting the highly-regarded NBA prospect to his most difficult shooting night of the campaign.

Coming into Saturday’s contest, Boozer ranked eighth in the nation with 22.8 points per game while converting 57.9% of his field goal attempts. He managed just 13 points on 3-of-17 shooting — both season lows — as Onyenso rejected four of his shots, including three in the second half.

Despite the offensive struggles, Boozer collected eight rebounds and eight assists to earn tournament MVP recognition, though he battled throughout the evening while trying to establish the interior presence that has powered Duke’s dominance since January.

Onyenso recorded nine blocks, seven coming after halftime, surpassing former Wake Forest standout and NBA legend Tim Duncan’s single-tournament blocked shots record.

“First of all I’ve got give props to him,” Boozer said. “He’s a great defender, great shot blocker. I think there’s a lot I can learn from this game, but I just want to keep attacking, keep attacking, figure it out, find other ways to win. Obviously, my shot wasn’t falling. I wasn’t getting in a rhythm. But just had to find a way.”

Boozer’s 17.6% shooting performance marked his worst efficiency of the season, falling below his previous low of 25% (3-for-12) against Texas in the same venue during the season opener. The three made field goals represented only his third such limited output all year.

Virginia has now held Boozer to 6-of-26 shooting (23.1%) across their two meetings, including a contest at Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium two weeks earlier.

Nevertheless, the Blue Devils (32-2) emerged victorious in both encounters and now enter March Madness positioned for a No. 1 seed.

“One thing with me is I’m really good with my timing, so when we played them at Duke, I was a little bit off,” Onyenso said. “So coming into today’s game, I was like, okay, this is what I’ve got to do, steel my feet, don’t jump. That really helped me with my timing.

“Cam, he does a lot of shot faking. That’s his thing. So being able to stay on my feet when he shot faked really helped me with my timing.”

Boozer typically challenges opposing big men with his ability to stretch beyond the three-point line and serve as a facilitator, sometimes functioning like a point guard in Duke’s offensive schemes. This versatility allows him to create movement with his dribbling before using his strength to score through contact with post moves and spins in the paint.

When he doesn’t convert, he frequently draws fouls and gets to the free-throw line.

However, Onyenso consistently neutralized these options in ways no other opponent has managed this season, including No. 3 Michigan’s talented frontcourt in a high-profile non-conference matchup last month. He also stayed out of foul trouble, picking up just one personal foul with 6:33 remaining in the second half, despite Boozer’s aggressive attacks and physical play.

“Look, we’re going to continue to go to him regardless of how he’s playing,” coach Jon Scheyer said while standing on the court surrounded by confetti as players began cutting down the nets. “He didn’t have his best stuff. But in fairness to him, we rely on him so heavily. We played three games in a row. They’re loaded up, they have a great frontcourt.”

Appropriately, Boozer delivered the crucial play that helped Duke secure the victory, coming as he challenged Onyenso again in the final 30 seconds while the Blue Devils protected a two-point advantage. Onyenso blocked the attempt — his 21st rejection across the three Charlotte games — but Boozer grabbed the offensive rebound.

Rather than forcing another shot, Boozer passed the ball out to run clock. Isaiah Evans subsequently made two free throws to extend the lead to 72-68, and Boozer sealed the championship with two foul shots with 3.9 seconds left, giving Scheyer his third ACC Tournament title in four seasons as head coach.

“Give them credit, because they protect the rim probably better than anybody we’ve played,” Scheyer said. “You just believe he’s going to come through, and he did.”