SPOTLIGHT: Duke’s Cam & Cayden Boozer, UNC’s Caleb Wilson STAR in Basketball’s Most ELECTRIC Rivalry

**SPEAKER_1** (0:02)
It's the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day.

**Isaac Schade** (0:11)
Round one of the greatest rivalry in sports. In this year, there's a pair of former AAU teammates and presumptive top five draft picks squaring off head to head.

**JJ Jackson** (0:20)
Let's get it.

**SPEAKER_4** (0:27)
You are Locked On College Crossovers, part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Your team, every day.

**Isaac Schade** (0:39)
Hey there, what's up? Happy Friday, it is Duke Carolina Eve, round one, and we are here with the crossover, JJ Jackson, the host of Locked On Blue Devils, I'm Isaac Schade, the host of Locked On Tar Heels, and we are elated to be with you. You're joining us at The Place to get your Blue Devils and Tar Heels content every single day, all part of the Locked On Network, the number one sports podcast network out there. JJ and I are both so grateful to all of you for making this your first listen or watch today to kick your weekend off the right way, right, JJ?

**SPEAKER_5** (1:09)
Let's go.

**Isaac Schade** (1:10)
Special shout out to all our everydayers and all the people who are here with us all the time. It's because of you that this is so great. This episode is brought to you by Mazda, who puts that same drive into every detail. Winds define the moment, putting in the work, that defines you. Stay tuned for highlights in this week's Moving The Game Forward. There's more to a Mazda because there's more to you. Here's where we're going on the show today. Look, there's nowhere else we can start than the head-to-head matchup at the power forward position in this game. As I struggled 18 times to say that you only heard one of, a pair of former AAU teammates, Squaring Off, and guys that are presumptive top five picks in the draft. We'll get to that. We'll take a look at the Blue Devils. We'll take a look at the Tar Heels, make some game predictions, other big story lines. But JJ, man, this parallel universe that Cam Boozer and Caleb Wilson are living right now is something special to watch.

**JJ Jackson** (2:03)
Yeah, it really is. I mean, these guys have been talked about all year and even going into the season, there were high expectations for them to deliver. Someone like Cameron Boozer, who's following in the shoes of Cooper Flag and what he was able to do not only at Duke, not only in the ACC, but all of college basketball. And it feels like there's been no drop-off there whatsoever. And then you look at the Tar Heels side of things, and you've got this premier freshman, one of the first big-time freshman recruits that we've seen for North Carolina in a really long time. And Caleb Wilson has had really high expectations. He's got an unbelievable personality to go along with it. He's outspoken. He gets into the game. He's fired up. He's emotional. And the fact that they used to play together on the same team, dominating and winning a Peach Jam title, all of that just makes for such a special friendship and storyline. But I know they'll be fired up and super competitive come tip off. And I can't wait to see it unfold.

**Isaac Schade** (3:00)
And of course, shouts to Cayden Boozer as well, who was teammates with those guys on Knight Riders. He just doesn't get the notoriety that his brother or Caleb does. And that's okay because he's a stud too. We'll talk about him later, of course. But JJ, you talked about Caleb's personality. And that's funny because Cam is this kind of even-keel kind of, you know, he'll get fired up sometimes. But it is interesting that they're both so productive in both, you know, like I know Cam isn't leading all five statistical categories like Cooper did last year. But I mean, he's right there on the edge of it, right? And just dominating, helping Duke in major ways. I mean, just whatever's needed on any given night is willing to do that to make this team win. And like when you look at both of their games, JJ, like what stands out to you about each of them?

**JJ Jackson** (3:55)
Yeah, I just think that their competitiveness is an easy one to look at there because I mean, it's in the long season when everybody's got, you know, they're looking forward to March Madness and the ultimate goal of winning these championships. It's easy to get ahead of yourself and what could be next. And they just feel bought in to every single game. I think Cam Boozer specifically, his ability to be efficient from all areas of the floor and scoring the basketball at a rate in which he does. He has not had a bad game truly so far this season. There have been bad halves where he's not involved whatsoever. And, you know, he opens up the game and at half time, you're looking there and it's four points on three shots. And where is Cam Boozer been the whole time? And it's like someone woke him up in the locker room. I'd like to think John Shire and his teammates are one of the biggest reasons why, or maybe his dad, Carlos and mom, CC, who have been at every single game so far this season, kind of letting him know, you know, get going. And then that four point first half turns into a 20 point second half in route to a big Duke win and that sort of thing. So his ability to score the ball in the bucket has been impressive. And then looking at Caleb Wilson, I mentioned his competitiveness. The athleticism, I think, is truly special. That's what really caught people's attentions when you think about an athlete like Zion or even Cooper Flagge a year ago, flying through the air and really able to play above the rim, block shots, send the ball millions of seats into the seats there. And I think that's one of the big things that jumps out to me for him. What about you?