Duke's Cameron and Cayden Boozer Talk March Madness, NBA Draft and More in B/R Interview

As the sons of former NBA star Carlos Boozer, Duke freshman twin brothers Cameron and Cayden Boozer had the opportunity to develop their basketball skills under the tutelage of a two-time All-Star and 2008 Olympic gold medalist.

However, there aren't any family stories of two-on-one battles on the court between the father and his twin sons, as Carlos Boozer decided early on not to test them.

"We didn't really play at all," Cameron Boozer told Bleacher Report in an interview. "At the age where we could start beating him, he stopped playing, so I really don't have memories of us playing against our dad. ... He probably didn't want the smoke."

The now-44-year-old likely made the right decision, as the Boozer Twins developed into 5-star recruits who are now leading the No. 1 Blue Devils into March Madness, starting with the ACC Tournament this week before the men's NCAA Tournament begins later this month.

After finishing the regular season with a 29-2 record, Duke is one of the favorites to win the national championship this year, but head coach Jon Scheyer isn't letting the team get too far ahead of itself.

"I think the mindset is really just to stay in the present," Cayden Boozer told B/R. "Us being the No. 1 ranked team is a great accomplishment, but at the end of the day, if you don't have the right preparation, the right mindset for each practice and each game, that can get taken from you as quickly as we got it. So I just think having the mindset where we're desperate, we need to prove something every day."

It's been over a decade since the Blue Devils made it to the mountaintop, with their last national championship coming in 2015 under legendary head coach Mike Krzyzewski. Carlos Boozer also won a national championship while playing for Duke in 2001. However, the championship drought and their dad's previous success haven't added to the high expectations the young stars already have for themselves.

"I wouldn't say it creates more pressure. At Duke, every year there's pressure to be great and win," Cameron said. "So we knew that coming here, I think everyone knows that coming here. That's why you come to Duke, to be in pressure moments like March Madness or whatever. So, I wouldn't say it adds any pressure."

The Boozer Twins got an up-close look at what real pressure feels like while watching their dad go up against the legendary LeBron James in epic playoff battles between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls. Watching the elder Boozer throughout his career helped the 18-year-olds learn how to stay focused on what's in front of them and rise to the occasion in the face of adversity.

"I think just being around the game from a young age and being able to watch his high-pressure moments when he was on the Bulls playing against LeBron," Cayden said. "I feel like just being around the game for so long, being around that culture and understanding that this journey is hard and it's very easy to look ahead, I feel like a good lesson that he taught us is to stay present, stay where our feet are. Obviously, we have dreams and aspirations, but I think when you're focused on what you can do in your day-to-day life, those dreams and aspirations are gonna come naturally."

Staying present is a lesson that the Boozer Twins have also carried off the court as they continue to build their endorsement portfolio, which now includes a partnership with State Farm's "With The Assist" platform. They starred in a commercial titled "Will You Be There" alongside the famed Jake from State Farm, following a long lineage of basketball stars who have partnered with the company.

"I just think it's a great opportunity to have. Obviously, only two other college players have had it with Cooper Flagg and Caitlin Clark," Cayden said. "You see the commercials when we were younger with Chris Paul, those were really funny and really fun. So to be able to do a commercial like that with a brand like State Farm was just a great feeling, and I just feel really lucky to be a part of the State Farm family."

After the NCAA Tournament, the Boozer Twins will likely turn their attention to preparing for the NBA draft. Cameron Boozer is regarded as one of the best players in the class, and B/R's Jonathan Wasserman predicted in his latest mock draft that he would be selected third overall by the Brooklyn Nets.

However, it's likely that the twin brothers wind up on different teams at the professional level, which would mark the first time in their careers that they're not playing together.

"Obviously, we've thought about that," Cameron said. "It's something we've talked about over the last week, just because this could be our last time playing together. But right now, we're just focused on finishing out the year strong, and then we're gonna figure out what's gonna happen after the season after we're done here."

Still, it's hard not to look ahead to the possibility of the twins meeting as opposing players on the court. While many will be watching to see if the 6'9" Cameron dunks over the 6'4" Cayden, or if Cayden crosses up Cameron on the perimeter, both of them made it clear that a win over their brother would mean more than anything else.

"Whenever that happens, it's gonna be a fun time, seeing my brother if we're not on the same team. At the end of the day, I think any brother relationship that you have, you want to have bragging rights," Cayden said. "So if we're on different teams at the next level and my team wins, I'm always gonna hold that against him."

"I would say I would obviously rather play with him, but it's probably just unlikely," Cameron added. "So when the time comes, we're gonna compete and go after it. And like he said, you always want to have bragging rights over your siblings."