Cameron Boozer has only suited up for Duke men’s basketball four games, but he’s already gotten the attention of one of the program’s most prominent alums.

‘He is as good a player (as) there is in the country,’ former Duke center and now ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas told USA TODAY Sports in a recent interview. “He’s right there with anybody for national player of the year.’

Boozer’s campaign is off to a strong start. The five-star recruit has stuffed the stats sheet through his first two weeks with the Blue Devils, showing skills that belie his age of 18 years.

Cameron has posted two double-doubles and is averaging 22.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, all while proving that he can influence the box score in ways that go beyond hitting a mid-range jumper or a 3-pointer.

His next opportunity to add to that comes Tuesday, Nov. 18 when he makes his Madison Square Garden debut at 9 p.m. ET in the nightcap of the Champions Classic doubleheader against No. 23 Kansas.

The Miami native hails from Duke royalty as his dad, Carlos Boozer, was a standout forward for the Blue Devils under Mike Krzyzewski from 1999-2002 and part of Duke’s 2001 national championship team. Cam’s twin brother, Cayden, is also a freshman on the Blue Devils this season.

‘He reminds you a little bit of Paolo Banchero with his build and his game, and that’s saying something,’ Bilas said.

Bilas pointed to Boozer’s ‘rare’ combination of size, strength and skillset as reasons why Boozer reminds him of the former ACC freshman of the year and No. 1 overall pick.

‘He’s got a competitive nature to him. He knows how to play and he’s got a maturity that’s beyond his age,’ Bilas said. ‘You can isolate him and he’s going to draw a double team. He’s got the wherewithal to pass out of it and find an open teammate when he draws a double. He can go through people, he can go around you, he can go over you, he can go through you. 

“He’s not guardable but with one guy.’

Given the amount of attention that Boozer requires, Bilas says it will have opposing coaching staffs ‘head scratching’ when putting together their scouting reports in preparation to face Duke this season.

“You’re going to have to make adjustments and make him see a lot of bodies,” Bilas said. 

But with that comes opening up other parts of Duke’s roster and game style, like Isaiah Evans taking over the scoring in the Blue Devils’ season opener against Texas when Boozer held scoreless in the first half. 

“He’s such a supernova that is going to draw that much attention,” Bilas said.

Boozer also showcased his ability to take over games in both of Duke’s preseason exhibitions against Central Florida and Tennessee. He had 24 points, 23 rebounds, six assists, two blocks and a steal against the Volunteers while finishing with 33 points, 12 rebounds and four assists against the Knights. 

His double-double performance on the road at Tennessee in Thompson-Boling Arena, one of the tougher venues to play in the SEC, stood out to Bilas.

‘I don’t care whether it was an exhibition game or practice or scrimmage or what, Rick Barnes doesn’t give up 24 rebounds to one guy,’ Bilas said.

Boozer kicked off his career with the Blue Devils in the Dick Vitale Invitational against Texas, where after the slow start he finished with a double-double of 15 points and 13 rebounds. 

He has followed that with three consecutive games of at least 15 points and eight rebounds, including a 35-point effort Saturday against Indiana Stated. His performance against the Sycamores is the second-most points in a game by a Duke freshman in program history, only behind Cooper Flagg’s 42 points last season against Notre Dame.

Boozer’s night against Indiana State earned him ACC player and rookie of the week honors. It also made him the first major conference freshman to reach at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists with no more than one turnover since Carmelo Anthony accomplished the feat in 2003 while at Syracuse.

Cam Boozer catching eyes of Coach K

It’s that 6-foot-9 frame and ability to be a multi-dimensional player that have caught the eye of his dad’s former college coach.

‘I haven’t seen (all) the players yet that are playing in college basketball, I’ve seen a couple, (but) I would have to say he’s got to be as unique as anyone and we’ll see if he’s better than everyone, but he’s right there.

‘.. He rebounds like crazy. He’s a double-double guy and he can really pass too, so don’t be shocked when you see that first triple-double.’

Champions Classic Notebook: Will Darryn Peterson play against Duke?

When Duke and Kansas’ non-conference schedules were officially finalized, the Champions Classic matchup was advertised as ‘must-watch’ basketball. This was largely due to the fact that Boozer and Kansas’ Darryn Peterson, two of the top freshmen in the country this season, would be going head-to-head against each other.

The matchup between the No. 2 and No. 3 prospects in On3.com’s 2025 recruiting class now has some uncertainty around it, as Peterson’s status remains unclear due to a lingering hamstring injury that has kept him out of the last two games against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Princeton.

Asked about Peterson’s status following Kansas’ win over Princeton on Saturday, Nov. 15, Kansas coach Bill Self told reporters in Lawrence that the Jayhawks expect not to have their star freshman ‘at least for the immediate future.’ He hasn’t played since the Jayhawks’ opening-week loss to North Carolina, when he finished with 22 points on 8 of 14 shooting from the field.

‘He is getting the best treatment. … He’s got tightness in his right hamstring,’ Kansas coach Bill Self said. ‘He wants to be out there so bad, but I’m not going to put him out there until he feels well. You can say or think we are trying to win the battle, well, yeah, we are, but the battle is not nearly as important as the long term, so to speak. We’ve got to get him to where he is not hesitant to play.’

The Blue Devils and the Jayhawks are meeting in the Champions Classic for the fifth time, and the first since 2023 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Kansas leads the Champions Classic series against Duke 3-1.

Kentucky and Michigan State kick off the 2025 Champions Classic with a 6:30 p.m. ET tip-off.

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Oklahoma is expected to climb to No. 8 in the College Football Playoff rankings after defeating Alabama.
Alabama’s loss to the Sooners will likely drop them to No. 9, just ahead of Notre Dame.
Ohio State, Indiana, and Texas A&M are projected to remain the top three undefeated teams.

Three high-profile teams — Oklahoma, Alabama and Notre Dame — will take the spotlight in this week’s College Football Playoff rankings.

After beating the Crimson Tide 23-21, look for the Sooners to climb to No. 8. Previously No. 4, Alabama’s fall should stop at No. 9. That will knock Notre Dame back one spot to No. 10 even after the Fighting Irish breezed past Pittsburgh.

While the red-hot Irish have won eight in a row, Alabama has a stronger résumé against a significantly more difficult schedule.

Losses by Louisville, Iowa, Pittsburgh, South Florida and Cincinnati should open a spot for the Group of Five. Tulane is the safest bet to crack the rankings thanks to wins against Northwestern, Duke and Memphis.

Here’s how the top 12 of the third playoff rankings of the 2025 season will look:

1. Ohio State (10-0)

Best win: vs. Texas (14-7), Aug. 30.

Loss: None.

Playoff chances: 100%. The Buckeyes could lose to Rutgers and Michigan and still earn an at-large spot. OSU could even beat Rutgers, lose to Michigan, miss the Big Ten championship game and be in contention for an opening-round bye.

2. Indiana (11-0)

Best win: at Oregon (30-20), Oct. 11.

Loss: None.          

Playoff chances: 100%. Taking care of Wisconsin locks Indiana into at least an at-large spot. Beating Purdue on Nov. 28 will send the Hoosiers to the Big Ten title game for the first time ever. That also should wrap up a bye.

3. Texas A&M (10-0)

Best win: at Notre Dame (41-40), Sept. 13.

Loss: None.

Playoff chances: 98%. At this point, the Aggies would have to really stumble down the stretch to miss the playoff entirely. Getting routed by Texas and then backdooring into the SEC title game only to get blown out again, combined with a Notre Dame flop down the stretch, might be just enough to take A&M off the board. But even that’s a stretch.

4. Georgia (9-1)

Best win: vs. Mississippi (43-35), Oct. 18.

Loss: vs. Alabama (24-21), Sept. 27.

Playoff chances: 99%. Only the infinitesimal chance at being upset by one-win Charlotte keeps Georgia from being a playoff lock. A shocking loss on Saturday and a loss to Georgia Tech would knock the Bulldogs out of the field.

5. Texas Tech (10-1)

Best win: vs. Brigham Young (29-7), Nov. 8.

Loss: at Arizona State (26-22), Oct. 18.

Playoff chances: 90%. To reach No. 5 in the rankings strengthens the Red Raiders’ safety net even if they fall short of a Big 12 championship. But losses to West Virginia and in the conference title game would knock Tech out of the playoff.

6. Mississippi (10-1)

Best win: at Oklahoma (34-26), Oct. 25.

Loss: at Georgia (43-35), Oct. 18.

Playoff chances: 99%. Saturday’s unimpressive 34-24 win at home against Florida was still enough to almost ensure an at-large playoff berth regardless of what happens in the Egg Bowl.

7. Oregon (9-1)

Best win: at Iowa (18-16), Nov. 8.

Loss: vs. Indiana (30-20), Oct. 11.

Playoff chances: 60%. The odds are better than not that Oregon is the third Big Ten team in the field. But the Ducks have played two legitimate opponents all season, losing to Indiana and barely beating Iowa. Are they ready for Saturday’s huge matchup at home against Southern California? A loss there would dump Oregon out of the top 10 heading into the finale against Washington.

8. Oklahoma (8-2)

Best win: at Alabama (23-21), Nov. 15.

Losses: vs. Texas (in Dallas) (23-6), Oct. 11; vs. Mississippi (34-26), Oct. 25.

Playoff chances: 55%. Tossed aside after two October losses, the Sooners have rallied into at-large position with wins this month against Tennessee and Alabama. Oklahoma is in with wins at home against Missouri and LSU – and likely with home game in first round – but can’t afford a third defeat.

9. Alabama (9-2)

Best win: at Georgia (24-21), Sept. 27.

Losses: at Florida State (31-17), Aug. 30; vs. Oklahoma (23-21), Nov. 15.

Playoff chances: 75%. Alabama can still lock down a spot in the SEC title game and an at-large berth by beating Auburn. But a loss in the Iron Bowl will knock the Tide out of the mix.

10. Notre Dame (9-2)

Best win: vs. Southern California (34-24), Oct. 18.

Loss: at Miami (27-24), Aug. 31; vs. Texas A&M (41-40), Sept. 13.

Playoff chances: 85%. While they shouldn’t lose to Syracuse or Stanford, dropping one spot in the rankings will make the Irish feel a little more anxious about securing that at-large bid. Falling to No. 10 would move them a little closer to Miami, and it would be bad news for Notre Dame if that head-to-head tiebreaker came into play.

11. Brigham Young (9-1)

Best win: vs. Utah (24-21), Oct. 18.

Loss: at Texas Tech (29-7), Nov. 8.

Playoff chances: 33%. The Cougars’ best chance is via a conference title. But a chaotic finish in the Big Ten or SEC might give the Big 12 a chance at two playoff teams. In that scenario, BYU would need to beat Cincinnati and Central Florida convincingly and then play dramatically better against Texas Tech in the conference title game to crack the top 10.

12. Utah (9-2)

Best win: vs. Cincinnati (45-14), Nov. 1.

Losses: vs. Texas Tech (34-10), Sept. 20; at Brigham Young (24-21), Oct. 18.

Playoff chances: 10%. Losses to the Red Raiders and BYU will block Utah from the Big 12 title game. Getting an at-large bid is possible but very improbable given the number of teams ahead of the Utes and the fact there are still two teams behind them — the ACC champion and the Group of Five representative — who will be bumped into the bracket with the final rankings.

Antetokounmpo’s early departure, due to what is expected to be a left groin strain, raised concerns about the potential severity of his injury. He was seen grabbing his left groin several times before leaving the game and heading to the Bucks’ locker room with 3:03 remaining in the second quarter. He was ruled out for the rest of the game after halftime. Following the 118-109 loss, he was seen exiting Rocket Arena without assistance or a limp.

‘He grabbed it in the first quarter, and I asked him and he said it was fine,’ Rivers said after the game. ‘Then, I think, he grabbed it again, and he said it was fine. Then, the third time is when it happened, but I think it happened earlier, in my opinion.’

Rivers said that it ‘didn’t look great,’ and that the team will know more after an MRI to assess the injury.

Before his exit, Antetokounmpo had scored 14 points with five rebounds and four assists in just 13 minutes of play.

Giannis Antetokounmpo injury update

Antetokounmpo was seen grabbing his left groin several times before leaving the game and heading to the Bucks’ locker room with 3:03 remaining in the second quarter.

When do the Milwaukee Bucks play next?

On Thursday, Nov. 20, the Milwaukee Bucks will host the Philadelphia 76ers at the Fiserv Forum.

Date: Thursday, Nov. 20
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Steam: NBA League Pass, NBC Sports Philadelphia Plus
Location: Fiserv Forum (Milwaukee, WI)

With only a few weeks of the fantasy football regular season remaining, there are only two ways to improve your rosters — waiver wire and trades.

Evaluating a fantasy trade can be a daunting task. Most managers value their players more than they’re actually worth. That’s where the Week 12 trade value charts come in. You can also check out our Week 12 fantasy rankings to help with lineup and waiver decisions this week. Don’t forget to check out the rest of our content.

ANALYSIS: 8 players to add on waivers | 8 players to buy/sell

This charts can be used as your very own fantasy football trade analyzer in standard, half-PPR (point per reception) and full PPR leagues. Someone sends you an offer? Simply pull out a calculator (on your phone, you don’t need an actual calculator) and plug in the values for each player. Don’t worry, six-points-per-passing-touchdown and superflex leagues are covered as well.

Important note: If you’re offered an uneven trade (i.e., a 2-for-1 or 3-for-1), include the values for the players you’d be moving to the bench or dropping within your calculation. Example: If someone in your league offers you D’Andre Swift, DK Metcalf, and Sean Tucker (combined value of 78) for Jahmyr Gibbs (68), it might look like you’re getting the better end of it. However, if you’re bumping down, say, Devin Singletary and Jayden Higgins (combined value of 37) in the process, it’s a net negative deal for you.

The rankings are based on how players should be valued in 12-team leagues. Players are sorted in order of their half-PPR values.

Quarterback trade value chart

(Note: ‘6/TD’ is for leagues that award six points for passing touchdowns and ‘SFLEX’ stands for superflex.)

Running back trade value chart

Wide receiver trade value chart

Tight end trade value chart

Week 12 fantasy football rest-of-season rankings

Note: These values are for 12-team, one-QB leagues with half-PPR scoring.

Every week for the duration of the 2025 NFL regular season, USA TODAY Sports will provide timely updates to the league’s ever-evolving playoff picture − typically starting after Sunday afternoon’s late games and then moving forward for the remainder of the week (through Monday’s and Thursday’s games or Saturday’s, if applicable. And, when the holidays roll around, we’ll be watching then, too.)

What just happened? What does it mean? What are the pertinent factors (and, perhaps, tiebreakers) prominently in play as each conference’s seven-team bracket begins to crystallize? All will be explained and analyzed up to the point when the postseason field is finalized on Sunday, Jan. 4.

Here’s where things stand with Week 11 of the 2025 season nearly complete:

NFC playoff picture

1. Philadelphia Eagles (8-2), NFC East leaders: Something catastrophic (not uncommon in Philly) would have to occur for the defending champs not to be the first back-to-back winners of this division since they last did it … 21 years ago. After Sunday night’s win over Detroit, a Week 3 escape from the Rams currently confers the No. 1 seed to Philly. Remaining schedule: at Cowboys, vs. Bears, at Chargers, vs. Raiders, at Commanders, at Bills, vs. Commanders

2. Los Angeles Rams (8-2), NFC West leaders: They beat Seattle to notch their fifth straight win while taking over first place in the division. But the Rams effectively remain a game back of Philly in the conference standings. Remaining schedule: vs. Buccaneers, at Panthers, at Cardinals, vs. Lions, at Seahawks, at Falcons, vs. Cardinals

3. Chicago Bears (7-3), NFC North leaders: They’ve won seven of eight since an 0-2 start to stunningly take over first place in the division. And now it appears they’ll draw a weakened Pittsburgh team in Week 12. Remaining schedule: vs. Steelers, at Eagles, at Packers, vs. Browns, vs. Packers, at 49ers, vs. Lions

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-4), NFC South leaders: Their divisional lead is down to a half game over Carolina, but the Bucs’ schedule will soon get quite manageable. Remaining schedule: at Rams, vs. Cardinals, vs. Saints, vs. Falcons, at Panthers, at Dolphins, vs. Panthers

5. Seattle Seahawks (7-3), wild card No. 1: Tough loss to the Rams drops them out of first place in the NFC West. All three of the ‘Hawks’ losses are against NFC opponents. Remaining schedule: at Titans, vs. Vikings, at Falcons, vs. Colts, vs. Rams, at Panthers, at 49ers

6. Green Bay Packers (6-3-1), wild card No. 2: They got awfully banged up in Sunday’s victory over the Giants yet eventually advanced one rung in the NFC seedings. Remaining schedule: vs. Vikings, at Lions, vs. Bears, at Broncos, at Bears, vs. Ravens, at Vikings

7. San Francisco 49ers (7-4), wild card No. 3: Detroit’s latest setback moves a third NFC West team into the projected seven-team NFC playoff field. And maybe the Niners can start building some momentum with QB1 Brock Purdy back in the lineup. Remaining schedule: vs. Panthers, at Browns, BYE, vs. Titans, at Colts, vs. Bears, vs. Seahawks

8. Detroit Lions (6-4), in the hunt: The offense crashed back to earth Sunday night in Philly as Detroit crashed out of the playoff picture … for now. Had they won in Philly, the Lions would have been the No. 2 seed − illustrative of how tightly packed the conference currently is. Remaining schedule: vs. Giants, vs. Packers, vs. Cowboys, at Rams, vs. Steelers, at Vikings, at Bears

9. Carolina Panthers (6-5), in the hunt: In addition to closing in on the Bucs, they’re only a game back of the Niners (whom they play next) for the final wild-card spot in the NFC. Remaining schedule: at 49ers, vs. Rams, BYE, at Saints, vs. Buccaneers, vs. Seahawks, at Buccaneers

10. Dallas Cowboys (4-5-1), in the hunt: Monday’s mauling of the Raiders gave this team a needed lift, both emotionally and in the standings − Dallas moving back into the playoff periphery. Remaining schedule: vs. Eagles, vs. Chiefs, at Lions, vs. Vikings, vs. Chargers, at Commanders, at Giants

AFC playoff picture

1. Denver Broncos (9-2), AFC West leaders: Sunday’s win over Kansas City gave them a chokehold on the AFC West throne the Chiefs have sat upon since 2016. It also moved the Broncos past the Patriots for the conference’s top spot − Denver’s record in AFC games (6-2) currently a half-game better than New England’s. Remaining schedule: BYE, at Commanders, at Raiders, vs. Packers, vs. Jaguars, at Chiefs, vs. Chargers

2. New England Patriots (9-2), AFC East leaders: The first team in the league to reach nine wins Thursday night, they’re in prime position to win the division for the first time since Tom Brady led them to first place in 2019 and maybe their first No. 1 playoff seed since 2017. Remaining schedule: at Bengals, vs. Giants, BYE, vs. Bills, at Ravens, at Jets, vs. Dolphins

3. Indianapolis Colts (8-2), AFC South leaders: The schedule was Charmin soft before their bye, but you can’t control whom you play. But the second-half lineup seems much less forgiving. Remaining schedule: at Chiefs, vs. Texans, at Jaguars, at Seahawks, vs. 49ers, vs. Jaguars, at Texans

4. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4), AFC North leaders: Only one game up on Baltimore for the division lead and now possibly facing life without QB Aaron Rodgers in the short term. Remaining schedule: at Bears, vs. Bills, at Ravens, vs. Dolphins, at Lions, at Browns, vs. Ravens

5. Buffalo Bills (7-3), wild card No. 1: QB Josh Allen’s big game Sunday moved Buffalo up one spot in the seeding but got the Bills no closer to the AFC East lead. Tough game in Houston looms Thursday night. Remaining schedule: at Texans, at Steelers, vs. Bengals, at Patriots, at Browns, vs. Eagles, vs. Jets

6. Los Angeles Chargers (7-4), wild card No. 2: The week off arrives right on time for a battered team that was bludgeoned in Duval County on Sunday. Remaining schedule: BYE, vs. Raiders, vs. Eagles, at Chiefs, at Cowboys, vs. Texans, at Broncos

7. Jacksonville Jaguars (6-4), wild card No. 3: They continue to collect potentially critical head-to-head tiebreakers, Sunday’s defeat of the Bolts added to the Jags’ wins over the Chiefs. Remaining schedule: at Cardinals, at Titans, vs. Colts, vs. Jets, at Broncos, vs. Colts, at Titans

8. Houston Texans (5-5), in the hunt: They’ve won three of four, including two in a row without injured QB C.J. Stroud. If they want to win the AFC South for a third straight year, the Texans probably need to sweep Colts while continuing their surge. Remaining schedule: vs. Bills, at Colts, at Chiefs, vs. Cardinals, vs. Raiders, at Chargers, vs. Colts

9. Kansas City Chiefs (5-5), in the hunt: Their nine-year run atop the AFC West appears practically over following Sunday’s loss at the gun in Denver. Still plenty of time to recover otherwise for a team that’s never missed the AFC championship game since Patrick Mahomes became the QB1 in 2018. Remaining schedule: vs. Colts, at Cowboys, vs. Texans, vs. Chargers, at Titans, vs. Broncos, at Raiders

10. Baltimore Ravens (5-5), in the hunt: They’ve won four in a row in their return to relevance. But their best hope to reach postseason is to win a third consecutive AFC North crown given they’ve already lost to K.C. and Houston. Their upcoming three-game homestand seems … sweepable? Remaining schedule: vs. Jets, vs. Bengals, vs. Steelers, at Bengals, vs. Patriots, at Packers, at Steelers

NFL teams eliminated from playoff contention in 2025

None

The College Football Playoff picture remains fluid with two weeks left before conference championships.
The SEC is projected to secure four spots in the playoff, in addition to its conference champion.
Notre Dame is in a strong position for a playoff berth if it wins its remaining games.

Trying to predict how the College Football Playoff field will look on Dec. 7 feels a bit like Bill Murray waking up every morning to Sonny and Cher in ‘Groundhog Day.’

Each week of games seems to change the picture. And yet it also seems the same. Teams that move into the field quickly move out. Others seemingly locked into place get close calls. It’s just the way this thing goes. And there’s still two more weeks before conference championship games.

The one constant that appears in place is the makeup of the field. There will be five conference champions with the American joining the Power Four (sorry, James Madison). That American rep now looks to be Tulane after last week’s loss by South Florida.

It doesn’t appear that the ACC or Big 12 are going to get an at-large team. Brigham Young and Miami might have a chance, but a lot will go right for both teams. Notre Dame looks to be in good shape with two more wins. That leaves six other spots to split between the Big Ten and SEC.

Ohio State or Indiana will take one. Minus a win by Southern California at Oregon or Michigan at Ohio State, it’s hard to see more than the Ducks joining them.

Which brings us to the SEC. The league should hoover up the other four available spots. The champion and three of those positions should come from Texas A&M, Georgia, Mississippi and Alabama. Oklahoma is wins against Missouri and LSU away from joining that group. The Sooners bumped out Texas this week. The preseason No. 1 now with three losses needs a lot of help to make the field.

Seems simple. But it never seems to work that way. Come back next week where we all will wake up and go through the whole process again.

College football bowl projections after Week 12

Notes: Legacy Pac-12 schools in other conferences will fulfill existing Pac-12 bowl agreements through the 2025 season. Not all conferences will fulfill their bowl allotment. An asterisk represents a replacement pick.