Recruiting expert just took the Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje hype to another level for Duke

Duke landing a commitment from FC Barcelona's Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje on Thursday is flying a little under the radar.

Rivals recruiting expert Jamie Shaw is having none of that.

Shaw is turning a small fire into a towering inferno of hype for Duke's latest roster addition:

Jamie Shaw pours gasoline on the fire for Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje hype

The wildest thing about Boumtje Boumtje is that he's still just 16 years old. He'll play his entire freshman season at just 17 as he reclassifies into the 2026 class and joins Duke's roster next year. NBA Draft rules state that you have to turn 19 in the same calendar year as the draft, so Boumtje Boumtje won't be eligible until 2028.

That means Jon Scheyer should have him for two seasons. He's good enough right now to play a role for the Blue Devils next season, but the fruits of Scheyer's labor should really pay off for 2027-28 when he could develop into the focal point of the team.

As Shaw puts it, if he were a high school recruit instead of an international prospect, he'd be ranked as the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2027 class. The ceiling is that high.

It's easy to see why when you look at his highlights:

He's got a smooth-looking jumpshot and is highly skilled with the ball in his hands. He averaged just shy of 16 points per game in the Spain U22 league. His 32.4% three-point percentage points to extremely high upside as an outside shooter for a 16-year-old big man.

Based on Shaw's comments, Boumtje Boumtje could prove to be the biggest win of this recruiting cycle for Scheyer, and people are barely talking about it. He's effectively the fourth 5-star that Scheyer reeled in for the 2026 class, joining Cameron Williams, Bryson Howard, and Deron Rippey Jr.

The fact that Duke beat out UNC in order to land Boumtje Boumtje is just the icing on the cake.

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