The Duke Blue Devils continue to dominate on the court. After allowing rival North Carolina to remain competitive Saturday, a dominant second-half run ended all doubt as Duke rolled to a victory.
Despite the win, Duke must contend with an injury to key player Patrick Ngongba II, who missed the game against the Tar Heels. Here is the latest on his status entering the ACC Tournament.
Duke Reveals Patrick Ngongba II Injury Update
Ngongba was listed as questionable before the game against North Carolina and ultimately was unable to play. He is a critical component of Duke’svroster and anchors the defense when healthy.
Head coach Jon Scheyer indicated that Ngongba likely will not participate in the ACC Tournament, with the priority being his full recovery for the NCAA Tournament.
“To be honest, health going into the NCAA Tournament is the priority. It just is. And, you know, ACC Tournament, we want to be ready to go, but I can tell you this, I’d be shocked if both of them are playing next week,” said Scheyer.
Jon Scheyer said he’d be shocked if both Caleb Foster and Pat Ngongba will be available for next week’s ACC Tournament. Adds that the priority is the NCAA Tournament. pic.twitter.com/vy5adz5OvO
— Carolina Blitz (@KeepBlitzin) March 8, 2026
Scheyer emphasized that ensuring his players are healthy for the NCAA Tournament outweighs participation in the ACC Tournament. Duke has the talent to win the ACC Tournament without Ngongba and will do everything to get him back to full strength.
Ngongba averages 10.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game. He is a strong interior presence and plays a pivotal role alongside Cameron Boozer.
In the last 30 seasons, only one Division I player has had 25+ points, 15+ rebounds & 5+ assists in a regulation win over an AP Top 25 opponent.
That one player was @DukeMBB‘s Cameron Boozer tonight – as a freshman. pic.twitter.com/325KswR38H
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) March 8, 2026
Starting point guard Caleb Foster is also injured and is expected to miss the ACC Tournament after sustaining an injury against North Carolina. Ngongba and Foster are integral pieces of Duke’s roster, but the team’s depth proved sufficient against a top-20 Tar Heels squad.
Duke has effectively secured a No. 1 seed and would need a significant collapse in the ACC Tournament to lose the No. 1 overall seed in March Madness. The Blue Devils will remain a primary target for opponents, and having Ngongba and Foster healthy will be critical for their postseason aspirations.
