Few are recruiting at the level Duke is right now.
On Thursday, the Blue Devils landed a commitment from 16-year-old international big man Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje. A skilled center, Boumtje Boumtje currently plays for FC Barcelona in Spain. He’s a 5-star recruit who won’t turn 17 until May. He announced his commitment on his personal Instagram.
Boumtje Boumtje measured 7-foot with a 9-foot-4 standing reach at the 2025 USA Basketball trials. He’s from St. Petersburg, Florida, and the son of former Georgetown and Portland Trail Blazers big man Ruben Boumtje Boumtje.
With Boumtje Boumtje yet to turn 17, he’ll need to play 2 seasons of college ball before being eligible for the NBA Draft.
For Barcelona, Boumtje Boumtje averaged 15.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.7 blocks in 23.2 minutes per game this season in Liga U. He shot 60.0% from the field and 78.9% from the free throw line.
Though not an elite athlete, Boumtje Boumtje brings skill and touch with an ability to stretch the floor. In 25 games, he took 102 triples while shooting 32.4%.
Boumtje Boumtje joins 5-star freshmen Cameron Williams, Deron Rippey Jr., and Bryson Howard as the core of Duke’s 2026 recruiting class. The Blue Devils are also bringing back Cayden Boozer and Dame Sarr from a team that went 35-3 last season to sweep the ACC’s titles.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
