In big news for the Duke Blue Devils, Patrick Ngongba II has decided to return to the program for his junior year. The center was considered a high-value NBA Draft prospect, but has opted to spend another year at Duke under Jon Scheyer’s tutelage.
The decision comes just one day after Duke bolstered its frontcourt by landing the commitment of forward Drew Scharnowski from Belmont.
Patrick Ngongba II’s Return to Duke Raises Eyebrows
Ngongba will be returning to Duke after a standout sophomore year. The 6-foot-11 center finished as the Blue Devils’ third-leading scorer with 10.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game.
The 20-year-old was a defensive anchor for Duke last season and was projected as a first-round pick in the NBA Draft. Now, he will be returning to Durham for Year 3 with the aim of further elevating his draft stock.
Duke posted news of Ngongba’s return on social media, and the move prompted some strong reactions.
“BIG PAT. BIG BACK,” they wrote.
BIG PAT. BIG BACK. 👿 @NgongbaPatrick pic.twitter.com/9233Y9LtXk
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) April 20, 2026
Duke influencer Zion O. posted a highlight reel of Ngongba’s top plays and shared his excitement over the news.
“YEAR 3 PAT!! Getting back a special player. Frontcourt is about be a strength again,” he wrote on X.
YEAR 3 PAT!!
Getting back a special player. Frontcourt is about be a strength again pic.twitter.com/ShxCzqxMhB https://t.co/PJsocxD682
— Zion O. (@DukeNBA) April 20, 2026
ESPN’s college basketball insider Jeff Borzello mentioned Ngongba’s accomplishments from his sophomore year ahead of his return to Duke.
“Duke big man Patrick Ngongba is returning to the Blue Devils next season, the school announces. Honorable mention All-ACC selection averaged 10.1 points and 5.8 rebounds last season,” he wrote.
Duke big man Patrick Ngongba is returning to the Blue Devils next season, the school announces. Honorable mention All-ACC selection averaged 10.1 points and 5.8 rebounds last season. https://t.co/opU5h1suBF
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) April 20, 2026
College basketball insider Jeff Goodman hailed it as a big moment for the Blue Devils.
“Mammoth news for Duke,” he wrote.
Mammoth news for Duke. https://t.co/MMBzaz4YQi
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) April 20, 2026
Another influencer stated Ngongba is projected to be “one of the best big men in the country” during his junior year at Duke.
“Massive news for Duke, Ngongba figures to be one of the best big men in the country next year,” they wrote.
Massive news for Duke, Ngongba figures to be one of the best big men in the country next year. https://t.co/b0IT4fhqgp
— Chad Ballard (@ChadBallardNCAA) April 20, 2026
Cayden Boozer recently announced that he will be returning to Duke, but Cameron Boozer is expected to leave Scheyer’s side for the 2026 NBA Draft.
Duke has lost some players, as Nikolas Khamenia committed to UConn and Darren Harris opted to join Indiana. Scheyer is likely to stay busy in the transfer portal as he looks to further retool his roster.
The Blue Devils finished last season with a 35-3 overall record and fell to the UConn Huskies in heartbreaking fashion in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.
