Ulrich Chomche had never left Bafang, the remote village in Cameroon’s Western Region that he called home. He was 13 years old and had recently started playing basketball. By his own admission, he was no good. Not yet. But he was 6-7 and suddenly faced with the opportunity to take his game to another level to reach his full potential. Only he would have to leave Bafang and travel thousands of miles to do so.
NBA Academy Africa, an elite basketball training center in Saly, Senegal, was founded in 2017, about a year before one of its coaches, Joe Tuomou, began recruiting Chomche. At first the answer was negative. Chomche’s parents initially didn’t want him to play basketball, so that was out of the question. “My parents didn’t want me to do anything other than school because my family values education a lot,” Chomche told SLAM. He made a deal with them to join the local team. Chomche could play, but if his grades suffered at all, he would have to drop out.
So far, Chomche had not slipped. But this was a much bigger question. Basketball was new to the Chomche household. None of Ulrich’s 16 siblings played, instead gravitating towards soccer, the most popular sport in Cameroon. Ulrich grew up helping out on the family farm without dreaming of a future in the NBA.
Initially rejected, Tuomu returned to Cameroon to meet Chomche’s parents again. He emphasized how much the Academy could benefit Ulrich, both on and off the court. Not only will he work with top coaches to improve as a basketball player, but he will also receive a top-notch education and the opportunity to travel the world with his new classmates. This time Tuomu was able to convince them.
Before long, Bafang’s child arrived at Sally’s impressive campus. Everything had changed in an instant. Chomche was shy, quiet and surrounded by strangers, many of whom he had difficulty communicating with. The courses were taught in English, a language that the French-speaking Chomche did not know. He was placed with a tutor while adjusting to a strict new basketball regime. Chomche, with his size, his agility, certainly had the tools to become a dominant big man. But he was still learning the basics of the game.
“When Ulrich came in, he didn’t know basketball,” said Frank Traore, head of basketball operations for NBA Africa. “He could move (well), we assessed him correctly and the Academy coaching staff obviously worked with him every day. We believed in him.”
Chomche’s team in Bafang practiced only a few times a week. At the academy, he practiced several times a day. He has coached with seasoned basketball minds like Tuomo, who played four seasons at Georgetown University (1995-99), served as an international scout for the Indiana Pacers, and is the director of Basketball Without Borders’ longtime Africa camp (where he coached NBA stars Joel Embiid and Pascal Siakam.
“What really (made Chomche) pull off was the mentorship piece,” Traore explains. “He needed it. Once we had that, his mindset changed. He believed in himself that he could do it. And his game went up.”
From the beginning, Chomche displayed an incredible work ethic. His current schedule at the academy sees him arrive at the gym every day around 5:30 a.m. for individual training, followed by team practice and an hour of weightlifting before morning classes begin at 10:00 a.m. in For a while, Chomche also went to night training (after the 2nd team training at 17:30-19:30) in order to finish early (which he did).
“What I like about the academy is that they teach you not only basketball, but also how to be a man,” says Chomche.
Whenever he performed, whether it was in practice, a world exhibition game, the African Basketball League or a premier scouting event, Chomche looked less lost and more confident. Less clumsy and more polished. Over the past five years, he has gone from a complete rookie to one of the most promising international prospects.
Chomche, who is now 6-11 with a 7-4 wingspan, officially entered his name in the 2024 NBA draft last week. He is expected to become the first African NBA Academy graduate to be selected. Given the rise of basketball across the continent, there will be many more. Chomche’s close friend Khaman Maluach, a 7-2 center from South Sudan headed to Duke in the fall, is projected to be a top-three pick in 2025. They proudly represented the academy at the recent Nike Hoop Summit, an annual high school event. Exhibition held in Portland, OR.
“It’s good that my brother is with me because every time we train at the academy, we say we’re preparing for war,” Chomche says of Maluach. “Every time we practice, we compete. And I’m very grateful to him for being with me because he helps push me every time.”
Together, they have been a dynamic duo for the Academy, often carrying the team. In December, they led their team to two impressive victories in the G League Winter Showcase, playing in front of hundreds of NBA executives and scouts. Chomche flashed on what makes him a special prospect. mainly his defensive versatility. He has both the athleticism to protect the rim and the mobility to go over guards on the perimeter. Chomche won the Defensive MVP award at the 2022 Basketball Without Borders Camp in Cairo, Egypt.
“His biggest strength is defense,” says Traore. “First of all, his size and length, you can’t teach that. He was born with it. It’s a gift. Great rebounder. Great shot blocking. The term is exclusive. And his lateral movement, being able to defend, that is already a gift for him. I think that’s half the battle for him. He makes a nice three-pointer. He can take corner kicks and make them consistent. In games when we need it, he can make those shots.”
Chomche is still developing his offensive game and needs time to adjust to the NBA. At just 18 years old, he is the youngest player eligible for the 2024 Draft. Training at the Academy for the next few months, Chomche is focused on his ball handling, shooting and finishing around the basket. He has shown that he can spread the floor. during the Basketball Africa League qualifiers in November, he shot 38 percent from behind the arc (8/21) while averaging 13 points, 9 rebounds and 2.7 blocks.
Marshall Cho, who coached Chomche at the Nike Hoop Summit, said the Cameroon center has “the most elite feet for a guy his size.” Cho points to Chomche’s help defense and screen setup as evidence. “Those are two things he can do that don’t require shooting,” Cho emphasizes. “So all the criticism around his touch on the rim or whatever it is that he’s raw, he’s got the foundation that the League needs right now. Beyond that, if you’ve seen him shoot the three, he can actually shoot. He’s got it in him.”
Above all, Chomche is “a winner,” says Traore. He does the little things and always finds a way to make an impact, even if it doesn’t show up in the box scores. “I would be surprised if Ulrich went his entire NBA career without a championship,” Traore continued. “Having some of the best coaches in the world work with him every day, Ulrich will be a starter in the NBA for over a decade. That’s who he is.”
Regardless of what the future holds, Chomche is already one of the Academy’s best success stories. How far he’s come since joining the program proves that the initiative is working, that leaving Bafang was definitely worth it.
“He comes from a very humble background,” adds Traore. “He represents his family very, very well.”
Photos via Getty Images.
