Thanksgiving is usually a warm break filled with family, gratitude, and a crowded dinner table. But for the Boozer brothers of college basketball, this year brings a different kind of celebration. Instead of plates and conversations, they’ll be in Chicago battling No. 22 Arkansas, hoping to serve up their own holiday feast on the court. And before stepping into that spotlight, Cameron Boozer shared a message he felt everyone needed to hear.

“Of course, Mom always makes a great Thanksgiving meal, shout out to moms. It’s gonna be different playing on Thanksgiving. But you gotta be thankful for it,” Boozer said during the post-practice interview on November 25.

“It’s a great opportunity playing on prime-time TV against a great school in Arkansas. Hopefully, we get some good Thanksgiving food after the game. We’ll see. So yeah, decided to go up there to Chicago.” It sounds more like a request, though!

But yes, Chicago is home to some incredible restaurants. So the Boozers can definitely find great turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and pumpkin pie. But they won’t have to miss home either-their family will be there courtside with them. The real feast, though, is awaited on the floor.

Cameron Boozer has been playing at an unbelievable level in the first few weeks of the season. He’s a skilled passer who can start fast breaks with his playmaking. He uses his strength to his advantage on both ends and is averaging 21.1 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. Not only that, he is scoring efficiently at all three levels, shooting 54.9% from the field and 37% from the three-point line. All of that makes him a force on the court.

So yes, it’s going to be a great game to watch, and Boozer knows it. He called it a huge opportunity to face a top program, and Arkansas backs that up as the No. 22 team in the AP poll. The Razorbacks have the 38th-best defense, lead Duke 3-2 all-time, and are off to a 5-1 start with their only loss coming against Michigan State.

But what makes this matchup even more intriguing is that Arkansas is preparing a clear strategy to stop Boozer!

How are Razorbacks preparing to give competition?

Arkansas knows the challenge ahead, and they’re taking it seriously. They understand Boozer scores through contact, rebounds his own misses, and doesn’t get pushed off his spots. That’s something they haven’t faced yet. Trevon Brazile knows that, too.

“He’s a bulldozer,” Brazile said. But Duke doesn’t rely on Boozer alone.

Patrick Ngongba adds 13 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, meaning Arkansas can’t simply load up on the freshman star. The Blue Devils shoot 37.3% from three as a team, so packing the paint comes with consequences.

Arkansas already learned that lesson earlier this season when it surrendered 15 three-pointers in a single game. This time, they’re determined not to repeat that mistake.

“Run them off the line, closing out to their shoelaces… We’ve been practicing that ever since the game we gave up 15 threes,” Brazile added.

To make that plan work, the Razorbacks are grinding in practice. They want to prove they can rebound with urgency, rotate with purpose, and match Duke’s physicality-without relying on the home crowd to boost them. So now the big question remains: Who wins-Duke or Arkansas?