Thoughts on Cameron Boozer, Yaxel Lendeborg, and Patrick Ngongba II in the Duke-Michigan Game

February 23rd, 2026

By Alan Lu

This time around, I took the time to watch the Duke-Michigan game that took place this Saturday on February 21st.  This featured two of the best teams in college basketball, as well as numerous top prospects, including Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg, as well as Duke’s sensational freshman forward, Cameron Boozer, who is in the running to be the top pick of the 2026 draft. 

It was a very competitive and tense game in which Cameron Boozer dominated the contest, and Lendeborg and other prospects also played well. In the end, Duke was able to hold off Michigan to get a 68-63 victory.  Here are my thoughts on how Cameron Boozer and other various prospects fared, as well as where they may stack up as prospects for the NBA.

Cameron Boozer had a tremendous showing in his team’s win over Michigan.  He is a smart, crafty, super skilled big man that played very well on both sides of the ball, and his superb offensive skills was on full display in this game.

Boozer did a great job of shooting and scoring the basketball, and he did so in a variety of ways.  He was very effective at scoring off of drives and in the post.  He is a patient player that will make strong moves and has subtle quickness, and he also has very good shooting touch around the basket.  He also was able to score on the move, and he also made an open three-pointer smoothly off the catch to show his range.

He also was extremely effective as a facilitator in this game.  He did a terrific job of making quick passes off the dribble, and he can both pass on the move, and find teammates on the move to set up scores for his teammates.  He also is a solid screen setter, and he was able to help his teammate get open on a backdoor cut to set up a score for him.  Boozer is a very unselfish player that made pinpoint passes due to possessing great court vision.

Also, Boozer did a very good job of rebounding the basketball.  He also defended well.  He excelled at blocking shots in the paint due to possessing very good length, timing, and rotation skills to do so.  He also was able to deflect a pass to nearly get a steal.  He also excelled at contesting shots to force misses, and he was able to hold his ground and wall off the paint to get a stop when defending in the post.  On the downside, sometimes he would commit fouls due to over-aggressiveness.

In general, Cameron Boozer played excellent basketball, and he was superb in making shots, passes due to possessing X-ray vision, as well as in rebounding and defending to help his team.  He is a gifted prospect whose smarts, skill set, and versatility make him a very solid contender to be the top pick, and he could end up being a superstar in the NBA.

Yaxel Lendeborg also had a strong showing in his team’s loss to Duke.  He is an athletic, skilled forward did a great job of consistently making plays throughout the game.

He excelled as a shooter, especially from beyond the arc.  Lendeborg showed a solid ability to make spot-up threes off the catch, and he also was able to make one off of a pick and pop play.  He also did a great job of scoring on strong drives to the hoop, as he has a crafty pump fake move, and he can change speeds and has a very good scoring touch around the basket.  He also managed to score in traffic out of the post, and also made a tough catch to score on the break.  On the downside, he would occasionally miss on tough, contested shots from the block, and was also a bit streaky with his outside shot.

He also displayed decent playmaking skills.  Lendeborg is a skilled forward that can pass and handle the basketball, and he showed the ability to make passes off the dribble.  There was one play where he was called for traveling, although he never quite seemed to have full control or possession of the ball.

He also was active at crashing the glass to help his team get some boards.  He also played adequate defense.  Lendeborg was able to rotate to block a shot off the dribble to a teammate.  He also was able to get his hands on a post pass to get a steal. However, he would sometimes play too aggressively though, which would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores.

In summary, Yaxel Lendeborg had a strong all-around game against Duke, and he was able to put his full versatility on display.  He is a very solid prospect that can do a little bit of everything, and his versatility and strong skill set could enable him to possibly be a lottery pick in the 2026 draft.

Patrick Ngongba II had a solid showing in his team’s win over Michigan.  He is a very athletic center that did a very good job of making plays on both ends of the floor.  He showed a knack for scoring on hustle plays, especially on rolls to the rim.  He also caught a lob off of a roll to score on a powerful, alley-oop dunk.  Plus, he also was able to use a spin move to score out of the post.  He was able to take an outside shot, but he missed his lone three-point attempt from beyond the arc.

He also displayed adequate playmaking skills.  Ngongba did a good job of passing the basketball, and he generally threw accurate passes to cutters to set up scores for them.  He did a good job of finding teammates on the move, and he also set solid screens to help teammates get open jump shots.  Occasionally though, he would sometimes commit a careless mistake, like over-dris lengthibble or a drop a pass that would lead to a turnover.

He also was able to get his fair share of rebounds to help chip in on the boards. Ngongba also defended well.  He would rotate to block shots to help his team protect the paint.  He also used his length and timing to contest a three to force a miss.  He also managed to poke a ball off of an opposing ball handler to help force a turnover.  On the downside, sometimes he would struggle to defend in the post or opposing ball handlers, which would occasionally lead to fouls.

Overall, Patrick Ngongba II played well in his team’s win over Michigan.  He is a very athletic, energetic big man that projects to be a solid interior player at the NBA level, and he could be a good value pick in the mid to late first round of the 2026 draft.

Morez Johnson Jr. had a solid showing in his team’s tough loss to Duke.  He is a very athletic, energetic big man that showed off a variety of scoring skills, and he also excelled as a shot blocker on the defensive end.

Johnson showed a solid face-up game, as he was able to make an open three-pointer smoothly, and he also drove in to score on a smooth floater.  Plus, he showed that he can score on strong drop step moves out of the post, and he also threw down a thunderous dunk off of a roll to showcase his athleticism.  However, sometimes he would struggle to finish plays in traffic, and he even had a couple of his shots blocked.

He also displayed decent playmaking skills.  Johnson was able to make a drive and kick pass to notch an assist. On another play though, he had a ball poked away from him that led to a turnover.

 He also was able to get his fair share of rebounds to help chip in on the boards. Johnson also defended well.  He showed a penchant for swooping in to block shots hard to help his team protect the paint.  However, he would occasionally commit fouls due to over-aggressiveness.

Overall, Johnson played well, and he is a very athletic, energetic big man that has shown an improved face-up game, which can add a unique element to his already solid skill set.  He is a tremendous shot blocker that excels as a rim runner and rim protector, and he is a very solid prospect that could end up being a first round pick in the 2026 draft.

Caleb Foster also played well in his team’s win over Michigan.  He is an athletic, skilled guard that excelled as a shooter, scorer, and facilitator, and he also helped out on the boards as well.  Foster showed that he can make outside shots both off the catch and dribble, and he shot the three-ball very well.  On the downside, he struggled to consistently make shots off the dribble, especially when he would look to drive it to the basket. 

Foster also passed the ball well.  He showed a knack for being able to pass on the move and find teammates on the move to set up scores for them.   He generally passed and handled the ball well, and has good court vision.   He also did a decent job of rebounding the basketball.  He was active defensively, but he would also sometimes end up out of position and commit fouls due to over-aggressiveness.

Overall, Foster had a solid showing in his team’s win over Michigan.  His athleticism, skill set, and versatility makes him an intriguing prospect, and he could be a solid value pick in the late first to the second round range for the 2026 draft.

Aday Mara had a decent showing in his team’s tough loss to Michigan.  He is a very skilled, mobile center that especially played well on offense, but he also struggled with foul trouble.

Mara did a great job of making shots as an interior scorer.  He didn’t shoot the ball very often, but he was efficient in knocking them down when he did.  Mara really excelled at scoring on hustle plays.  He has great hands and a very long reach that enables him to catch tough passes with ease, and he can finish plays over most defenders.  He also was able to make a really quick spin move to score smoothly out of the post.

He also did a good job of finding teammates on the move, and excelled as a screen setter to help get his teammates open jump shots.  Defensively, Mara would use his vast size and considerable timing to block shots to get stops around the basket.  However, he also would play too aggressively, which led him to be foul prone, and he would sometimes get outmuscled when defending opponents off the dribble.  In addition, he didn’t grab nearly as many rebounds as he should have.

Overall, Mara played fairly well, and he excelled at making plays on the offensive end.  He is a smart, skilled center that may have considerable potential, but he kind of struggled at times to consistently make plays on the boards or on the defensive end against a really talented Duke team.  Still, he’s had a very strong season overall, and Mara is a very skilled center that could end up being a solid pick for an NBA team, especially if he’s available in the late first to the second round range of the 2026 draft.

Nikolas Khamenia quietly played very well off the bench in his team’s win over Michigan. He is an agile, energetic swingman that showed a knack for making hustle plays on both ends of the floor.  He excelled at scoring on strong drives as well as on a quick cut to the hoop.  He rebounded the ball incredibly well, especially given his limited time on the floor.  He also managed to swipe a ball away to get a steal.  However, he would sometimes struggle to get in position to defend quicker opponents, which would lead him to commit fouls.

Overall, Khamenia had a strong game to help Duke get the victory.  He hasn’t received nearly as much playing time because Duke has a loaded roster, but Khamenia is a talented player that could be a first round prospect in 2027, especially if he gets significant playing time next season.

Isaiah Evans had some very solid moments in his team’s win over Michigan.  He didn’t shoot nearly as well as he should have, but he was able to make some really sterling plays that showcase his vast potential as a prospect for the NBA.

Evans didn’t shoot the three-ball well in this game, but he was able to make a pair of spot-up threes off the catch, and he was able to run quickly off a pin down to make a three-pointer once.  He also excelled at scoring off of cuts, and he would throw down high-flying dunks to give his team a boost.   Evans has shown a great ability to score on movement plays, something that could be enhanced even further at the next level, especially if paired with an elite playmaking point guard, and a movement-oriented offense that encourages screen setting, ball and player movement.  He was inconsistent as a scorer off the dribble, but Evans’ ability to score quickly off the catch and on movement plays is very encouraging for his development.

He also was able to make a quick drive and dish to showcase his ability to make passes off the dribble.  However, he would sometimes make careless plays that would lead to turnovers.

Overall, Evans didn’t have his best game, but he made enough plays on offense to show that he is a very promising prospect for the NBA.  He’ll need to be a more consistent shooter in games, but he is a high upside prospect that could be a great value pick if he’s available in the late first to the second round range of the 2026 draft.

Dame Sarr had his ups and downs in his team’s win over Michigan.  He didn’t stand out nearly as much as the other players, but Sarr had some solid moments.  He was able to make a tough corner three over the outstretched arms of Mara.  Sarr also managed to sneak behind the defense to score on a smooth layup another time.  He didn’t shoot the ball very often, and he would sometimes throw lazy passes that would get intercepted, but Sarr is a skilled, versatile player that has made enough plays that suggest he may have a lot of upside as a prospect for the association.

He also was able to chip in to help get a couple of boards.  Sarr was active defensively, but he also would tend to commit fouls due to over-aggressiveness.

Overall, Sarr didn’t have a great game, but he was able to make a couple of strong plays that highlight some of his intriguing skill set.  He’s had to share the ball with some really talented players, so his production hasn’t really stood out.  Arguably, he could stand to play another season at Duke to show that he can take on a greater role within a team’s offense.  Still, even if he doesn’t, Sarr is a high upside prospect that could be an intriguing option for NBA teams to consider, especially if he’s available in the mid to late second round range of the 2026 draft.

Elliot Cadeau had some solid moments in his team’s loss to Duke.  He is an agile, skilled playmaker whose best skill seems to be his strong ability to run the point.  Cadeau did a great job of passing the ball, as he did so with ease, and can make an assortment of passes.  He would throw accurate lobs, no-look passes to find shooters, and he would tend to find teammates on the move due to possessing great court vision.

Cadeau did not shoot the ball very well, and for most of the game, he was having trouble knocking down outside shots, particularly from beyond the arc.  He did sometimes get to the free throw line on quick, strong drives to the hoop.  He also made a late-game three, and he showed poise and confidence in his decision-making, even though he was battling significant shooting struggles for most of the contest.  On the defensive end, he was able to take a charge on an opponent off the ball, as his positioning forced an opponent to commit an offensive foul.

Overall, Cadeau did not have his best game, but he is a smart, skilled playmaker that showed great passing skills and court sense.  He’s struggled to make shots consistently over the years, but numbers have shown that he’s made a considerable effort to improve as a three-point shooter.  Cadeau is an interesting prospect that would likely project well into a game-managing, table setter role at the NBA level, and he could be a solid option for NBA teams to consider in the second round range of the 2026 draft.

All in all, those are my thoughts on how Cameron Boozer and other various prospects fared in this game. Thanks for reading.