Going for the Gold: HoopsHD interviews USA U-17 national team finalist Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje

Posted on June 18, 2026 by Jon Teitel

For those of you who cannot wait to see the next generation of college basketball players, you are in luck. USA Basketball announced the finalists for its U-17 national team roster last weekend, which includes many high school stars with famous relatives like Beckham Black (brother of Orlando Magic guard Anthony), NaVorro Bowman Jr. (son of former NFL All-Pro LB NaVorro), and Erick Dampier Jr. (son of 1996 NBA lottery pick Erick). 1 of the players who has been rocketing up the rankings this year is Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, whose father Ruben was 2001 Big East Scholar-Athlete of the Year at Georgetown and remains 1 of the best shot-blockers in Hoya history. Joaquim is hoping to head to Istanbul next week and try to win a gold medal, but earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with him about choosing Duke for college and his decision to reclassify from the Class of 2027.

You grew up in Florida and played AAU basketball there: why did you decide to move to Spain to join the FC Barcelona Youth Academy in 2023? I was born in Germany while my dad was playing abroad, but we later moved to Florida. My dad eventually got a job in Africa, which gave me a chance to play basketball outside the US, and Barcelona was a really good fit for me.

Last November you scored 29 PTS/8-11 3PM in a win over Real Madrid: how big is the rivalry for those who have never seen it in person? It is really big. Nobody on either team likes each other so it is a really intense rivalry.

Last March you helped lead Barcelona to a win in the EuroLeague NextGen tourney and were named tourney MVP: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? It meant a lot. Very few players get to accomplish that so it was a great honor.

You were originally part of the Class of 2027 for high school players: why did you decide to reclassify to the Class of 2026? I was originally planning to go to high school before moving to Spain, and I felt that the best option for me next year was to play college basketball rather than high school basketball. I think it will benefit me more in the long run.

Last April you verbally committed to Duke: what was the biggest factor in your decision? The development program that Coach Jon Scheyer has. I really liked everything he said and he laid out a good plan for me to get better.

You are part of an incredible recruiting class including Bryson Howard/Maxime Meyer/Deron Rippey Jr./Cameron Williams: how well do you know any of your future teammates? I do not know any of them yet, but am excited to meet them later this year.

You are listed at 7”: what position do you play at Barcelona, and what position will you feel most comfortable at in college? I am a PF and feel most comfortable at that position: I have more skills there than I do as a strict 5.

Your father Ruben played basketball at Georgetown and then spent a decade playing pro basketball: who is the best athlete in the family? Right now I would say me, but I do not know what he would say.

You turned 17 last month: how did you celebrate the big day? I hung out with some friends for the last time because I am moving back to the US and spent time with my family.

Earlier this week you were named a finalist for the U-17 National Team: what would it mean to you to represent your country as you try to win a gold medal in Istanbul? It would mean a lot. I will only have 1 chance at this so I will keep pushing for it because winning a gold medal is something I would remember for the rest of my life.

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Going for the Gold: HoopsHD interviews USA U-18 national team member Bella Flemings

Posted on June 2, 2026 by Jon Teitel

For those of you who cannot wait to see the next generation of college basketball players, you are in luck. USA Basketball announced the roster for its U-18 national team yesterday, which includes many notable incoming freshmen like 2025 U-19 gold medalist Sydney Douglas (undecided), top-25 recruit Miciah “Mimi” Fusilier (Baylor), and 2026 McDonald’s All-American Jayla “Jordyn” Jackson (Maryland). 1 player whose last name might be familiar is Bella Flemings: her older brother Kingston was an All-American at Houston last season and is projected to be a lottery pick later this month. Bella is heading to Mexico next week and try to win a gold medal, but earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with her about choosing Duke for college and cheering for her hometown San Antonio Spurs this month.

You received scholarship offers from several great schools including Baylor/Miami/TCU/Tennessee: what made you choose Duke last October? The biggest reason was Coach Kara Lawson and my relationship with her. All the girls I met during my official visit there were so high-character, and Duke also places a lot of importance on academics, so it is the perfect choice for me.

You are part of a great recruiting class including Autumn Fleary/Sanai Green/Taylor Sofilkanich: how well do you know any of your future teammates? Sanai and I played together at Overtime Select (www.overtimeselect.com) and are close, and I also played against Autumn at the McDonald’s All-American Game earlier this year.

Another 1 of your future teammates is Arianna Roberson, who you scored 47 PTS against in a 7-PT win in the state regional championship 2 years ago: do you remind her of that game every time you see her? Not every time…but I tease her about it every so often!

Last March you played for the West in the McDonald’s All-American Game: which of your fellow honorees impressed you the most (Saniyah Hall/Kate Harpring/Jordyn Jackson/other)? Probably my teammate Lizzy Spaight: she did a great job of scoring (11 PTS) and facilitating from the PG spot.

You were also named Gatorade Texas Girls Basketball POY this spring: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? It had been 1 of my goals since my freshman year, so to accomplish that as a senior after my brother Kingston accomplished it the year before showed that all my hard work was paying off.

You had 2504 PTS/1068 REB at Brennan High School while also maintaining an “A” average: how do you balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom? I always do my schoolwork 1st: my rule is that I cannot go out until I get my assignments done. Since I am so busy with basketball, I just try to get everything done as soon as I can rather than procrastinate.

You are listed at 6’: what position did you play in high school, and what position will you feel most comfortable at in college? I played 1 through 5 in high school: whatever my team needed me to do. At Duke I plan to play SG.

Your brother Kingston is a projected lottery pick this month: how excited is your family for draft night? My family is so excited! We are a little stressed out with all the preparation, but it is a huge accomplishment for him.

You are from San Antonio: any predictions for the NBA Finals? I believe the Spurs will win: Go Spurs Go!

Yesterday you were named to the U-18 National Team: what will it mean to you to represent your country as you try to win a gold medal in Mexico? It is the biggest honor that any athlete can dream of, and we have a special group that will try to compete for a gold medal.

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2026 NBA Mock Draft (Version 2.0)

Posted on May 28, 2026 by Jon Teitel

The NBA Draft is scheduled to take place on June 23rd/24th and until then we will do our best to predict where everyone will get selected. Some websites do their mock drafts based on “best player available” but we try to focus on team needs: for example, if a team like Washington already has Trae Young at the 1, then they are probably not selecting a PG with the 1st overall pick. Please see our 1st round predictions below and then tweet us your comments regarding what looks good and what might need a re-pick.

#. TEAM: NAME, POSITION (SCHOOL/YEAR OR COUNTRY)
1. Washington: AJ Dybantsa, SF (BYU/FR)
2. Utah: Darryn Peterson, PG/SG (Kansas/FR)
3. Memphis: Cameron Boozer, PF (Duke/FR)
4. Chicago: Caleb Wilson, PF/C (North Carolina/FR)
5. LA Clippers: Darius Acuff Jr., PG (Arkansas/FR)
6. Brooklyn: Keaton Wagler, PG/SG (Illinois/FR)
7. Sacramento: Mikel Brown Jr., PG (Louisville/FR)
8. Atlanta: Kingston Flemings, PG (Houston/FR)
9. Dallas: Nate Ament, SF/PF (Tennessee/FR)
10. Milwaukee: Brayden Burries, PG/SG (Arizona/FR)
11. Golden State: Hannes Steinbach, PF (Washington/FR)
12. Oklahoma City: Karim Lopez, SF/PF (Mexico)
13. Miami: Labaron Philon Jr., PG (Alabama/SO)
14. Charlotte: Aday Mara, C (Michigan/JR)
15. Chicago: Yaxel Lendeborg, PF (Michigan/SR)
16. Memphis: Cameron Carr, SG (Baylor/JR)
17. Oklahoma City: Morez Johnson Jr., PF/C (Michigan/SO)
18. Charlotte: Bennett Stirtz, PG (Iowa/SR)
19. Toronto: Chris Cenac Jr., PF/C (Houston/FR)
20. San Antonio: Allen Graves, PF (Santa Clara/FR)
21. Detroit: Isaiah Evans, SG/SF (Duke/SO)
22. Philadelphia: Jayden Quaintance, PF/C (Kentucky/SO)
23. Atlanta: Dailyn Swain, SF (Texas/JR)
24. New York: Christian Anderson, PG/SG (Texas Tech/SO)
25. LA Lakers: Koa Peat, PF (Arizona/FR)
26. Denver: Joshua Jefferson, SF/PF (Iowa State/SR)
27. Boston: Henri Veesaar, C (North Carolina/JR)
28. Minnesota: Meleek Thomas, PG/SG (Arkansas/FR)
29. Cleveland: Ebuka Okorie, PG/SG (Stanford/FR)
30. Dallas: Luigi Suigo, C (Italy)

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Going for the Gold: HoopsHD interviews USA U-18 national team finalist Quentin Coleman

Posted on May 26, 2026 by Jon Teitel

For those of you who cannot wait to see the next generation of college basketball players, you are in luck. USA Basketball announced the finalists for its U-18 national team roster last weekend, which includes many notable incoming freshmen like McDonald’s All-American Bruce Branch III (BYU), #1-ranked PG Taylen Kinney (Kansas), and consensus 5-star forward Baba Oladotun (Maryland). 1 of the players who has been rocketing up the rankings this year is Quentin Coleman, who was named Missouri Gatorade POY and won his 2nd straight state championship this spring after scoring 50 PTS in the title game. Quentin is hoping to head to Mexico next week and try to win a gold medal, but earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with him about choosing Illinois for college and being a great 3-PT shooter.

You grew up in St. Louis, as did several NBA stars including Bradley Beal/Jayson Tatum: what is the basketball scene like there? I was born in California, moved to Illinois when I was 5, and now I go to school in the St. Louis area. Seeing those names like Bradley/Jayson, as well as others like Larry Hughes Jr., has been great: they are like big brothers who I can always count on.

You led Bradley Beal Elite to a Peach Jam title last summer and won your 2nd straight state title this year at Principia School after scoring a career-high 50 PTS/18-21 FG in the title game (www.youtube.com/shorts/gKySTZ3Ryy4): what is the key to winning championships? Making winning plays and doing things that are not always seen on the stat sheet. I just do whatever it takes to win.

You shot better than 50 3P% as a senior: what is the secret to making shots from behind the arc? Just practicing every day and getting shots up. My dad put me on a little rim when I was a kid because he wanted to make sure that my form was right, and as I got older/stronger the hoop got higher.

Earlier this year you were named Missouri Gatorade POY/1st-team MaxPreps All-American: what did it mean to you to receive such outstanding honors? It means a lot. During my freshman year I wrote on my vision board about all the things that I wanted to accomplish…and now my dreams are becoming reality.

Why did you decommit from Wake Forest last March, and why did you decide to sign with Illinois in April? I felt like I had better opportunities elsewhere as my senior year progressed, so I wanted to expand my college options. Illinois had recruited me in the past and I saw how they were winning last spring. I wanted to go somewhere that I could win a title, and felt that Illinois was the right fit for me and my family.

You are part of a great recruiting class including Lucas Morillo/Landon Davis/Ethan Brown/Zavier Zens: how well do you know any of the other guys? I do not know them very well yet, but I look forward to making those relationships stronger in the weeks ahead after we all get to campus.

Last month you scored 12 PTS in the Jordan Brand Classic: which of your fellow honorees impressed you the most (Bruce Branch III/Brandon McCoy Jr./Tyran Stokes/other)? I would say Colben Landrew. My high school team had a win over his team at the City of Palms Classic in Florida last December (www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIy7-eRHJaA), so it was cool to see him again…and get to brag about beating him!

The Illini are losing their starting backcourt of Kylan Boswell/Keaton Wagler but are returning several other key pieces including David Mirkovic/Tomislav Ivisic (and perhaps Andrej Stojakovic): do you think the roster has enough talent to make it back to the Final 4? That is always the plan and every team is striving for that. With the combination of returning players and new guys that are coming in, I think that we have a good shot at it.

You are listed at 6’4″: what position did you play in high school, and what position would you feel most comfortable at in college? In high school I was more of a PG who brought the ball up, but I am a combo guard who can run the 1 or 2. Wherever the coach feels I can best help the team win, that is where I will play.

Last weekend you were selected as a finalist for the USA U-18 national team: what would it mean to you to represent your country/win a gold medal? It would mean a lot. Being here is a great moment to experience and it would be amazing to make the team/win a gold medal that I would have forever.

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Hoops HD Hardball Championship Week – Sunday Edition

Posted on May 25, 2026 by John Stalica

All of the auto bids have been awarded – here are the winners from yesterday:

American: East Carolina (defeated UT-San Antonio 1-0)
ACC: Georgia Tech (defeated North Carolina 13-6)
Atlantic 10: VCU (defeated Rhode Island 9-1)
Big East: St. John’s (defeated Creighton 5-3)
Big South: USC-Upstate (defeated Lipscomb 8-1)
B1G: UCLA (defeated Oregon 3-2 in 11 innings)
Big West: Cal Poly (defeated UC-San Diego 4-3)
Coastal: Northeastern (defeated Campbell 7-4 and 3-2)
Conference USA: Jacksonville State (defeated Liberty 10-0 in 7 innings)
Missouri Valley: Illinois-Chicago (defeated Southern Illinois 7-2)
Mountain West: Washington State (defeated San Diego State 14-4 in 7 innings)
NEC: Long Island (defeated Fairleigh Dickinson 22-8 in 7 innings)
Ohio Valley: Little Rock (defeated Eastern Illinois 4-3 and 10-6)
SEC: Georgia (defeated Arkansas 11-1 in 7 innings)
Sun Belt: Southern Miss (defeated Louisiana 11-7)
SWAC: Alabama State (defeated Florida A&M 8-6)

Also note that Jacksonville State and Little Rock were the only 2 teams that survived the losers’ bracket in order to win their auto bids.

The NCAA has also announced that the following 16 schools will be host sites for the Regional round; the seeds and other at-large bids will be announced on Monday at noon on ESPN2.

Athens Regional (Georgia)
Atlanta Regional (Georgia Tech)
Auburn Regional (Auburn)
Austin Regional (Texas)
Chapel Hill Regional (North Carolina)
College Station Regional (Texas A&M)
Eugene Regional (Oregon)
Gainesville Regional (Florida)
Hattiesburg Regional (Southern Miss)
Lawrence Regional (Kansas)
Lincoln Regional (Nebraska)
Los Angeles Regional (UCLA)
Morgantown Regional (West Virginia)
Starkville Regional (Mississippi State)
Tallahassee Regional (Florida State)
Tuscaloosa Regional (Alabama)

By conference the breakdown is 7 for the SEC, 3 for the ACC, 3 for the B1G, 2 for the Big 12 and 1 for the Sun Belt.

New to this season will be the #2 seeds in each region being ranked 17-32 on the overall S-Curve; they would only be moved if there is a conflict where the #1 and #2 seeds in each region are from the same conference (i.e. Georgia and Arkansas would not be paired in the same region).

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Hoops HD Hardball Championship Week – Saturday Edition

Posted on May 24, 2026 by John Stalica

We would like to congratulate the following teams that have clinched auto bids as of yesterday:

America East: Binghamton (defeated Maine 7-3)
Atlantic Sun: Lipscomb (defeated North Alabama 5-4 in 10 innings)
Big 12: Kansas (defeated West Virginia 9-0)
Horizon: Milwaukee (defeated Wright State 5-4)
Ivy: Yale (already clinched)
Metro Atlantic: Rider (defeated Fairfield 6-1)
MAC: Northern Illinois (defeated Toledo 5-1)
Patriot: Holy Cross (already clinched)
Southern: The Citadel (defeated Samford 3-1)
Southland: Lamar (already clinched)
Summit: South Dakota State (defeated Oral Roberts 9-6)
West Coast: Saint Mary’s (defeated San Francisco 7-6)
WAC: Tarleton (defeated Sacramento State 12-11)

And here are the other conferences to be determined today:

AMERICAN (12:00 PM, ESPNEWS)

UTSA defeated East Carolina 4-2 in the winners’ bracket; ECU defeated Wichita State 13-3 to advance to the winner-take-all championship game.

ACC (12:00 PM, ESPN2)

Pittsburgh’s Cinderella run for an auto bid ended with a 13-5 loss to North Carolina; they will take on Georgia Tech who defeated Miami 9-3.

ATLANTIC 10 (12:00 PM, ESPN+)

Today’s championship game is necessary since VCU defeated Rhode Island 18-16 to stave off elimination.

BIG EAST (9:00 AM, ESPN+)

St. John’s scored 11 runs in the 3rd and 4th innings en route to a 17-6 victory over Xavier; Creighton would eliminate the Musketeers in the nightcap with a 7-4 victory. St. John’s can clinch with one victory in the morning game; a 2nd game would start at approximately 12 PM should Creighton win the morning game.

BIG SOUTH (12:00 PM, ESPN+)

Longwood advanced to the title game against USC-Upstate with a win over Winthrop in the baseball Winwood Cup and then eliminated top-seeded High Point to advance to the championship. Upstate needs one win to clinch the auto bid; Longwood would need 2 wins to go dancing.

B1G (12:00 PM, Big 10 Network)

Top-ranked UCLA defeated USC 7-5 in the opener while Oregon beat Nebraska 8-0 in a de facto road game to advance to this afternoon’s championship game.

BIG WEST (3 PM, ESPN+)

UC-San Diego defeated Cal Poly 12-2 via mercy rule in 8 innings to force a winner-take-all championship game today.

COASTAL (1 PM, FloSports)

Northeastern won a pair of games to force a winner-take-all game; they defeated Hofstra 5-4 and then beat Campbell 7-4 in the championship round to force today’s game.

CONFERENCE USA (approx. 12 PM, CBS Sports Network)

Jacksonville State defeated Dallas Baptist 6-5 in the opener; this likely means DBU will miss the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013 (excluding the 2020 Covid season). Liberty leads Missouri State 6-4 in the bottom of the 6th inning before lightning suspended play for the night. That game will resume at 10 AM this morning before this afternoon’s winner-take-all championship game.

MISSOURI VALLEY (2:00 PM, ESPN+)

Illinois-Chicago advanced to the title game with a 6-0 win over Murray State; the Racers advanced from the losers’ bracket with a 9-7 win over Southern Illinois. Should a second game be necessary with a Murray State win, that game would begin at approximately 5:30 PM today.

MOUNTAIN WEST (3:00 PM, Moutain West Network)

Washington State advanced to the title game with a 14-9 victory over top seeded San Diego State; the Aztecs advanced to the title game with an 11-8 victory over Air Force in the nightcap. Wazzu needs one win for the auto bid; San Diego State can force a winner-take-all game at approximately 6 PM with a win this afternoon.

NEC (11 AM, ESPN+)

With Long Island already in the title game, Fairleigh Dickinson beat Wagner 11-10 to advance to today’s championship round. Long Island needs one win for the auto bid; a second winner-take-all game would start at 2:30 PM should FDU win in the morning game.

OHIO VALLEY (1 PM, ESPN+)

The Little Roccos made today’s game necessary with a win against top-seeded SIU-E in the losers’ bracket along with a 3-2 win in 10 innings against Eastern Illinois in the first leg of the championship round.

SEC (2:00 PM, ABC)

Both Georgia and Arkansas won to advance to today’s title game; this all but assures that the Razorbacks will likely be one of the 16 host sites in the NCAA Tournament now.

SUN BELT (SEMIFINAL 10 AM ESPN+/CHAMPIONSHIP 2 PM ESPN+)

Louisiana advanced to the winner-take-all championship game the hard way with 12-6 and 7-4 wins against Texas State; they await the second semifinal between Troy and Southern Miss after the Trojans defeated USM 9-6 that forced the winner-take-all semifinal in the top bracket. The Sun Belt will be assured of 3 bids with Southern Miss and Coastal Carolina safely in the field at this point.

SWAC (2:00 PM, SWAC TV)

Alabama State and Florida A&M both won yesterday to advance to today’s winner-take-all championship game in Birmingham.

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