Duke dominates ACC postseason awards on eve of tournament

Blue Devils' Cameron Boozer named Player and Rookie of the Year as Syracuse players earn honorable mentions

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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On the eve of the ACC Tournament, the league announced its postseason awards, with Duke's Cameron Boozer sweeping the Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year honors. Former Syracuse player Maliq Brown of Duke was named Defensive Player of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year. While Syracuse had a disappointing regular season, forward Donnie Freeman and center Will Kyle III received honorable mentions from the conference.

Why it matters

The ACC postseason awards are a significant milestone leading into the conference tournament, as they recognize the top individual performers of the regular season. Duke's dominance of the awards highlights their status as a powerhouse program, while the honorable mentions for Syracuse players provide a silver lining in an otherwise tough year for the Orange.

The details

Cameron Boozer of Duke was the unanimous selection as both the ACC Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year, becoming the fifth Duke player to win both awards in the same season. Former Syracuse player Maliq Brown of Duke swept the Defensive Player of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year awards, a first in ACC history. Syracuse's Donnie Freeman was named to the All-ACC Honorable Mention team after leading the Orange in scoring and rebounding, while teammate Will Kyle III finished seventh in the voting for Defensive Player of the Year.

  • The ACC postseason awards were announced on March 9, 2026, the eve of the ACC Tournament.

The players

Cameron Boozer

A freshman at Duke University who was named the unanimous ACC Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year.

Maliq Brown

A Duke player who was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year, becoming the first player in conference history to sweep those two awards.

Donnie Freeman

A Syracuse forward who was named to the All-ACC Honorable Mention team after leading the Orange in scoring and rebounding despite missing nine games due to injury.

Will Kyle III

A Syracuse center who finished seventh in the voting for ACC Defensive Player of the Year after tying for fourth in the country in blocked shots.

Jon Scheyer

The Duke head coach who was named ACC Coach of the Year.

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What they’re saying

“Certainly not wanting to have a bunch of media potentially throwing similar questions out at Adrian Autry to one's he answered last Saturday about his job status after the Dome regular season finale, 14th seed Syracuse handled its pre-ACC Tourney business privately Monday in Charlotte.”

— Unattributed (SI.com)

What’s next

The ACC Tournament will begin on Tuesday, March 11, 2026, with Syracuse facing 11th-seeded SMU in the first round.

The takeaway

Duke's dominance of the ACC postseason awards underscores their status as the conference's premier program, while the recognition of Syracuse players Donnie Freeman and Will Kyle III provides a glimmer of hope for the Orange despite their disappointing regular season. The upcoming ACC Tournament will be an opportunity for Syracuse to make a late-season push and potentially salvage their campaign.