Jon Scheyer spent the offseason loading Duke with more talent, more depth and more versatility, but one of his biggest wins may have been the simplest: keeping Patrick Ngongba II in Durham.
The Blue Devils added John Blackwell, one of the best guards in the Transfer Portal, and landed Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje, one of the more intriguing prospects in college basketball. They also brought back Cayden Boozer for his sophomore season and got Caleb Foster to return, then added freshman phenom Deron Rippey Jr. and Blackwell to what now looks like the deepest backcourt in the country.
Still, Ngongba’s decision to stay might end up carrying the most weight.
He had been projected as a first-round pick for much of last season, but a foot injury that cost him five games introduced some uncertainty around his durability. Rather than make the jump, he chose another year at Duke, giving himself a chance to strengthen his NBA case while giving the Blue Devils back one of their most important frontcourt pieces.
That return has not gotten nearly as much attention as Duke’s incoming haul, but it matters. Ngongba brings a skill set in the paint that few college bigs can match, and his presence gives Duke a piece that could be hard to replace if he had moved on.
If last season had broken differently, Ngongba likely would have entered the NBA Draft or at least tested the waters. Instead, he gets another season to build on what he has already shown, and Duke gets another year with one of its most impactful players.
CBS Sports’ Cameron Salerno recently listed Ngongba among the biggest potential NBA Draft risers from the group of players returning to college basketball this season.
The path is pretty clear from here. If Ngongba stays healthy and keeps developing, the talent is already there. He has flashed the kind of traits NBA teams want from a modern center, and another year in Duke’s system should only help.
He is already seen as a possible first-round pick, but the upside goes even further. If he takes another step during his first two seasons at Duke, Ngongba could push himself into the lottery conversation and become one of the top big men in the 2027 NBA Draft.
In Other News...
Duke Returner Is Drawing Serious ACC Buzz Before His Bigger Role
Dame Sarr is already getting noticed as Duke heads toward the new ACC season, with the returning guard earning breakout buzz from analyst Jon Rothstein. The attention makes sense after a freshman year in which Sarr stood out more for what he did on the defensive end, enough to land on the All-ACC Defensive Team and establish himself as one of the more intriguing pieces on the roster.
Now the bigger question is how much more there is to come when his role expands. Sarr is expected to take on a starting spot at small forward, and Duke will be counting on him to grow offensively while continuing to bring the same edge he showed a year ago. With Cayden Boozer, Patrick Ngongba II and Caleb Foster also back, the Blue Devils have plenty of familiar faces, but Sarr may be the one whose next step changes the look of the lineup most. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Fans Just Got A Painful Reminder About Darian Mensah
Darian Mensahs departure still stings for Duke, and the timing only makes it sharper as the college football conversation turns toward what he might become at Miami. After transferring out of Durham, Mensah has quickly become one of the more talked-about quarterbacks in the sport, the kind of move that leaves his old team measuring not just what it lost, but what it now has to replace.
For Duke, the challenge is obvious: keep competing after losing a player who could have shaped the offense for another season. Manny Diaz has built enough credibility around the program to keep the Blue Devils in the mix, but the quarterback transition is a real test, especially with outside expectations already leaning modestly in Dukes direction heading into the fall. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Fans Will Love How This Jon Scheyer Take Gets Exposed
Michael Malones move to North Carolina has stirred up the usual Tobacco Road noise, but the bigger story may be how little it changes the balance of power right now. UNC turned to Malone after Hubert Davis was gone, and the hire has been framed as a scramble more than a statement, while Duke under Jon Scheyer continues to sit in a far better spot with its roster and recruiting momentum.
That is why the latest chatter around Dukes supposed concern feels so easy to question. The Blue Devils have been operating from a position of strength, not insecurity, and the gap between the two programs is still obvious in the way each side is building for the future. If anything, the real tension is whether Carolina can use Malone to climb back into the conversation, because for now Dukes advantage looks more structural than temporary. [Read more 🡒]