By R.L. Bynum
Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje has grown up around basketball long enough to understand the weight of expectations, even before his game began drawing the interest of college programs, including Carolina and Duke.
His distinctive last name should be familiar. His dad is Reuben Boumtje-Boumtje (pronounced “BOOM-shay-BOOM-shay”), the former Georgetown center originally from Cameroon who later played in the NBA and across several European leagues.
The 6–11 forward/center for FC Barcelona’s Liga U program turns 17 next month. He reportedly committed to Duke on Thursday.
UNC already has commitments from two centers in Northwestern transfer Cade Bennerman and Mali native Sayon Keita, both with four years of eligibility. But Boumtje-Boumtje would have given UNC a player capable of spacing the floor while still being physical.
Boumtje-Boumtje is in the Class of 2027 and will reclassify.
At the Adidas NextGen EuroLeague qualifier in Bologna in March, Boumtje-Boumtje earned tournament MVP honors after averaging nearly 19 points and more than eight rebounds per game, anchoring Barcelona’s U18 group against elite competition.
Boumtje-Boumtje is a left-handed stretch big man, comfortable spacing the floor or working inside depending on the lineup around him. Barcelona’s youth system has placed him in roles that demand versatility, and he has responded by showing touch on jump shots beyond the arc, improving his post game and the willingness to defend multiple positions when switched.
In Liga U play earlier this season, he delivered one of his most eye-opening performances against Real Madrid, scoring 29 points while converting eight 3-pointers in a rivalry game that showcased his offensive ceiling.
That combination of size and shooting is what attracts college programs to him. UNC’s interest has intensified as it continues to add to its frontcourt after Henri Veesaar decided to begin his NBA career.
While his résumé reads international, Boumtje-Boumtje is an American who was born in St. Petersburg, Fla. He holds U.S. citizenship, a fact that sometimes gets lost because of his development in Spain and his family’s global basketball background.
In October, Boumtje-Boumtje was invited to a USA Basketball junior national team minicamp. During an interview conducted at that camp, he spoke about his mindset.
“I’m just trying to get better every day and help my team win, whether that’s scoring, rebounding, or defending,” he said in an interview, talking about adapting to different roles at Barcelona and adjusting to the physicality of international play.
Coaches around Barcelona’s system have pointed to his adaptability as the separator. In coverage following a Liga U game against Madrid, SPORT, a Spanish daily sports newspaper, described him (translated) as “another force of nature from Barcelona’s youth academy.”
Boumtje-Boumtje is young, but his comfort against older competition suggests a learning curve that could be manageable in college. His ability to defend inside as a developing shot-blocker while also stretching the floor fits into the college game.
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Roster assuming all players with eligibility other than Caleb Wilson, Henri Veesaar and the seven players who entered the transfer portal return, which would put UNC one under the 15-player limit. The class for next season is listed.
| No./ Stars | Class | Player | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 star | Freshman | Maximo Adams | SF | 6–7 | 205 |
| 3 star | Freshman | Malloy Smith | CG | 6–5 | 190 |
| 5 star | Freshman | Sayon Keita | C | 7–0 | 215 |
| 4 star | Freshman | Kevin Thomas | W | 6–7 | 190 |
| Freshman | Alexandros Samodurov | C | 6–11 | 212 | |
| RS freshman | Cade Bennerman — W | C | 7–0 | 205 | |
| Sophomore | Neoklis Avdalas — X | G | 6–9 | 215 | |
| Sophomore | Isaiah Denis | G | 6–4 | 180 | |
| Sophomore | Matt Able — Y | G | 6–5 | 196 | |
| 1 | Senior | Terrence Brown — Z | G | 6–3 | 174 |
| 4 | Senior | Jaydon Young | G | 6–4 | 200 |
| 15 | Senior | Jarin Stevenson | 4 | 6–10 | 215 |
| Walk-ons | |||||
| 25 | Junior | John Holbrook | 4 | 6–8 | 230 |
| 32 | Senior | Evan Smith | 2 | 6–1 | 195 |
W — Northwestern transfer. X — Virginia Tech transfer; Y — N.C. State transfer; Z — Utah transfer
Michael Malone’s coaching staff: Chuck Martin, Bryan Tibaldi, Sean May and Pat Sullivan; Deon Thompson will be a graduate assistant, and Brandon Robinson will reportedly have a support staff position.
Players who left for the transfer portal
| Player | Class next season | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt | Next school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luka Bogavac | Senior | W | 6–6 | 215 | Oklahoma State |
| James Brown | Senior | C | 6–10 | 240 | Howard |
| Derek Dixon | Sophomore | G | 6–5 | 200 | Arizona |
| Kyan Evans | Senior | G | 6–2 | 175 | Minnesota |
| Zayden High | Junior | C | 6–10 | 230 | South Florida |
| Jonathan Powell | Junior | G | 6–6 | 190 | Pittsburgh |
| Ivan Matlekovic | Junior | C | 7–0 | 255 |
Schedule so far
(Other than the ACC/SEC Challenge, games without links revealed from reporting by Alex Rosinski or Rocco Miller)
(11 of 14 games)
Oct. 18 — exhibition game vs. Indiana at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis
Nov. 2 — vs. Western Carolina
Nov. 6 — vs. Wofford
Nov. 10 — vs. Wyoming
Nov. 13 — vs. Georgia
Nov. 20 — vs. Marshall
Nov. 27 — vs. West Virginia at the Dick Vitale Invitational at Charlotte’s Spectrum Center
Dec. 1 — vs. Arkansas in ACC/SEC Challenge
Dec. 6 — vs. Butler
Dec. 12 — at Georgetown
Dec. 19 — vs. Kentucky in CBS Sports Classic at Madison Square Garden, 2:30 p.m.
Dec. 21 — vs. The Citadel
ACC games
Home and away: Duke, Louisville
Home only: California, Georgia Tech, Miami, N.C. State, SMU, Stanford, Virginia
Away only: Boston College, Florida State, Notre Dame, Pitt, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest
Photo via @Cantera_Basket
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