The USA Basketball U18 team released its 18 finalists on Saturday, and Duke signee Patrick Ngongba II made the cut.
Ngongba is one of six members of the 2024 Duke recruiting class, one of the most esteemed freshman groups in class history. Every signee sits inside the top 50 of the national rankings, including the 6-foot-11 Ngongba.
The Paul VI product is the 19th-ranked player and the fifth-ranked center on 247Sports Class of 2024 rankings. He was the only incoming Duke freshman to attend the camp.
The final U18 roster will consist of 12 players, and Ngongba will need to wait until next week to know if he makes the final cut. He might have an upper hand, however, as Duke coach Jon Scheyer is working with the U18 squad as a court coach.
A handful of 2025 recruiting targets like Caleb Wilson and Nate Ament also grabbed a spot as finalists if any overeager Duke fans want to keep an eye on the future.
USA Basketball cuts were made. 18 guys still in play to make the FIBA Americas U18 championship squad. Final 12-man roster coming after the weekend. https://t.co/eK3Sn61aoG pic.twitter.com/ohKvyeuzwj
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 25, 2024