It was not clear if No. 1-seeded Duke Blue Devils center Patrick Ngongba II was going to play before Saturday’s East Region second-round game against the No. 9-seeded TCU Horned Frogs at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C.
Ngongba not only played in Duke’s 81-58 win over TCU, but he also scored 4 points in 13 minutes. It was what took place after the game that raised some eyebrows.
Why Patrick Ngongba II Wore a Walking Boot After Duke’s Win Over TCU
Ngongba was listed as questionable ahead of Saturday’s win, which put the Blue Devils into the Sweet 16. In fact, Ngongba had not played due to a foot injury since March 2 against the North Carolina State Wolfpack. Even earlier on Friday, head coach Jon Scheyer said he was hopeful Ngongba could play on Saturday.
Ngongba did play against TCU. When he arrived at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on Saturday before the game, he was wearing a boot on his foot and using a scooter.
After the game, Ngongba was seen with the scooter again and the boot back on his foot. This might have been done as a precaution for Ngongba, but it was an interesting sight to see a player who just played in a game appear like this afterward.
Patrick Ngongba II is in a boot after playing 13 minutes in Duke’s Second Round win vs. TCU. pic.twitter.com/aZPaxRz4cA
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) March 22, 2026
“Patrick Ngongba II is in a boot after playing 13 minutes in Duke’s Second Round win vs. TCU,” Yahoo Sports wrote on the post it shared on X on Sunday. In the video, Ngongba is shown chatting with freshman forward Cameron Boozer. Boozer topped Duke scorers with 19 points while grabbing 11 rebounds and dishing out 4 assists.
Junior guard Caleb Foster wasn’t going to play against the Horned Frogs because he is still recovering from surgery on his fractured foot.
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Ngongba came into the TCU game with regular-season averages of 10.7 points, 6 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game.
The Blue Devils will be watching Sunday’s East Region second-round matchup between the No. 4-seeded Kansas Jayhawks and the No. 5-seeded St. John’s Red Storm. It will be a battle between two of college basketball’s best coaches, Kansas’ Bill Self and St. John’s Rick Pitino.
Duke fans probably want to know how Ngongba is really doing after playing against TCU. Scheyer might have an update on his center at some point.
