When Duke got a commitment from Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje in April, it seemed to come together very fast. And while, as we understand, he’s a Floridian, he’s been playing in Spain, so he’s really been off the U.S. recruiting radar to an extent.
But the game is global now, and when you add YouTube and video services into the mix, that means it’s very difficult to stay anonymous for long. Even though many of us weren’t very familiar with Boumtje Boumtje’s game, he is well-known among the people who track
young talent.
At 6-11 or 7-0, depending on who you listen to, he’s got a very versatile game. He looks like he’s got a lot of the prototypical Duke stretch four characteristics, though he may be a bit bulkier than some of his predecessors. In that sense, he reminds us more of Paolo Banchero than of, say, Danny Ferry, Christian Laettner, or Cooper Flagg.
But like Banchero (and all listed above), he moves very well, as you’ll see in this clip.
Pay particular attention to how he eludes a smaller defender near half-court by going behind his back.
Boumtje Boumtje has a complete skill set, which is somewhat unusual for a kid of his size and age, but if you’ve got it, you’ve got it.
He fits the Duke profile in another way: his father, Ruben, played at Georgetown and in the NBA until injuries ended his career.
He’s an interesting guy, too.
After his NBA career ended, he went back to Georgetown and earned a master’s degree in Applied Mathematics and Statistics. He’s stayed around the game to an extent, too.
Trivia: A Cameroonian immigrant, Ruben went to Archbishop Carroll High, the same D.C. high school that Georgetown coaches John Thompson Jr. and John Thompson III attended.
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