The Duke Blue Devils men’s basketball program continues to load up its roster for the 2026-27 season.
On Thursday, Duke received a commitment from 16-year-old Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, who is a 7-foot center from FC Barcelona, as he announced on his Instagram page.
“Blessed and excited to announce my commitment to the Duke Blue Devils for next season! Thank you to my family, my coaches, and my teammates who have been helping me throughout my journey!” Boumtje Boumtje wrote.
According to Jamie Shaw of Rivals, Boumtje Boumtje would’ve been the No. 1 center if he were in the rankings for 2026, and if he stayed in the Class of 2027, he would be the top prospect.
Since Boumtje Boumtje doesn’t turn 17 until the end of May, he won’t be eligible for the 2027 NBA Draft, which means he likely spends two seasons at Duke and declares for the 2028 NBA Draft.
Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje is coming off a phenomenal season for Barcelona’s U21 team, looking like a top player in Liga U playing 5 years up
— nbadraftpoint (@nbadraftpoint) April 27, 2026
The 6’11, 16 year old PF averaged 15.8 PPG, 6.2 RPG and 1.8 APG on 60/33/80 splits, including a 29 PT, 8-11 3P game against Real Madrid pic.twitter.com/f4eocWhl8y
Boumtje Boumtje played with FC Barcelona’s U22 team and averaged 15.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. His father, Ruben, played at Georgetown and was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the second round of the 2001 NBA Draft.
Duke’s incoming freshman recruiting class already included point guard Deron Rippey Jr., wing Bryson Howard, forward Cam Williams and center Maxime Meyer.
Duke also landed Wisconsin star John Blackwell in the transfer portal, so the Blue Devils should enter next season as one of the top teams in the nation.
