(Editor’s note: Montana State University media release)
BOZEMAN – Montana State men’s basketball head coach Danny Sprinkle announced Wednesday, May 22, that Borja Fernandez signed his National Letter of Intent and will join the Bobcats’ freshman class at the start of the 2019-20 season.
“We’re very excited about Borja,” Sprinkle said. “He gives us some versatility at the 4-spot that all great teams in this league have. Every team that’s had success in the past 10-15 years in the Big Sky has had a really good 4-man. Borja is that. He’s really skilled, he can shoot the ball and put the ball on the floor.
“He’s got great size, he can impact the game and he’s played at a really high level at Barcelona and on the Spanish national teams. Borja is a tremendous get for Montana State University.”
Fernandez has played among the best that are his age in Europe. He most recently was a member of FC Barcelona’s U18 team and has played on Spain’s U16 and U18 teams in international competition.
The FC Barcelona team Fernandez competed on advanced to the Spanish U19 Championship Finals earlier this May, while he’s also represented the squad in league and international play. He played a big role for FC Barcelona at the Adidas Next Generation Tournament for two straight years. The tournament, hosted by Euroleague Basketball, features the best U18 basketball clubs in Europe. Fernandez started in three of FC Barcelona’s four games in the Tournament in December. He averaged nine points per game but scored a tournament-high 13 in a victory in the squad’s final game. Fernandez registered a 10-rebound effort against U18 Valencia Basket which advanced to the Tournament Finals.
Fernandez has also experienced success in international competition representing Spain. He left his mark for Spain at the U16 European Championship in 2017. Fernandez averaged 9.6 points and 4.3 rebounds per game while shooting nearly 60 percent from the field and 40 percent from long range in seven games. He scored a tournament-high 17 points in a win against Sweden in group phase play and recorded 16 in a loss to Lithuania. Fernandez registered a double-double in a matchup against Montenegro.
A native of Bilbao, Spain, Fernandez will be a freshman for Montana State when the 2019-20 season begins. Montana State’s freshman class also includes Caleb Bellach (Manhattan, Mont.), Finn Fleute (Essen, Germany) and Zach Hobbs (Mesa, Ariz.).
“The one thing that he’s done, he left his home to go play in Barcelona when he was 13,” Sprinkle said. “He’s been invested in basketball for a long time and his academics are very important to him and his family. The level he played at in Barcelona will no doubt help him in the Big Sky.”
