Duke’s newest big man has already found his footing in the sport’s most heated rivalry.
Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, the 7-foot-1, 230-pound incoming freshman, is part of Jon Scheyer’s 2026 recruiting class and arrived late as an international addition, much like Dame Sarr did for Duke in 2025. After turning heads this summer at the Adidas NextGen EuroLeague Tournament and the FIBA U17 Men’s World Cup, Boumtje Boumtje is starting to look like the kind of prospect who can matter right away.
He also wasted no time stepping into the Duke-North Carolina conversation.
On the latest episode of The Brotherhood Podcast, Boumtje Boumtje joined Sarr to talk through his recruitment and why he ultimately landed with the Blue Devils. His answer came with a clear edge.
"I liked a lot of the schools that I had offers from, but, at the end of the day, I think the thing that sold it was, if I go to one of these schools, I feel like I'm missing out on Duke," Boumtje Boumtje said. "For Duke, I didn't feel that way..I didn't feel like I was missing out on going to, I don't know, UNC for example."
He doubled down with the same point in another quote that leaves little doubt about how he viewed the choice.
“Like, it would've been great, but, I feel like I would've been missing out on Duke if I had gone to UNC."
That kind of comment is going to land loudly before he’s even played a college game, especially with Duke and UNC set for two meetings next season.
There’s also a little extra twist here: Boumtje Boumtje will have the chance to face former FC Barcelona teammate Sayon Keita, who is now an incoming freshman for the Tar Heels.
UNC is shaping up as one of the more fascinating teams to track next season, and a big reason is Michael Malone. The Tar Heels hired the former Denver Nuggets coach, who won an NBA title in 2023 and last coached in college as an assistant at Manhattan in 2001. That kind of move is unusual, and it gives Carolina a very different feel heading into the season.
If Malone can bring an NBA-style system into the college game, the pieces are there for it to work. Terrence Brown gives UNC a proven volume scorer, while Matt Able and Neoklis Avdalas add more backcourt talent. Up front, Jarin Stevenson, Keita, and Cade Bennerman give the Heels a frontcourt that could be dangerous, even if the whole group comes with some volatility.
Duke, meanwhile, is expected to open the 2026-27 season as a top-five team and may have the deepest roster in college basketball. Still, UNC could end up being one of the ACC’s better offensive teams.
That leaves plenty of room for range in how the Tar Heels shake out. They could finish as high as third in the league or as low as sixth. Either way, when Duke and UNC meet, the games should be instant classics.
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Dan Hurley has never been shy about reminding people what UConn has done lately, and his latest interview only adds another layer to a rivalry that already has plenty of edge. The Huskies coach leaned on the programs recent national championships and NBA draft success while talking up what his team has built, a message that sounded aimed squarely at the Blue Devils even without naming them outright.
For Duke, the timing makes it even more interesting. Jon Scheyers team is still carrying the sting of that Elite Eight loss to UConn, and the two programs are already set to meet again in November in Las Vegas, giving both sides another chance to turn the conversation into something on the floor. Hurley has given the rematch a little extra juice, and Blue Devils fans have every reason to circle it now. [Read more 🡒]
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Even so, there has been one clear reason to keep watching. Evans has stayed locked in defensively, competing hard and showing the kind of engagement that can travel even when the jumper does not. For a player whose offense is still catching up, that end of the floor is giving him something to build on while the rest of his game gets back on schedule. [Read more 🡒]