Tag: Patrick Ngongba

What Duke basketball coach Jon Scheyer had to say about Patrick Ngongba’s debut

Duke basketball freshman Patrick Ngongba made his debut on Saturday. Here’s what head coach Jon Scheyer thought of his performance.

Another member of the 2024 Duke basketball recruiting class introduced himself to the Cameron Crazies on Saturday, and head coach Jon Scheyer sounded happy with what he saw.

Patrick Ngongba, a 6-foot-11 center from St. Paul VI Catholic High School in Virginia, checked in for the first time this season during Saturday’s win over Wofford. In just 11 minutes on the court, he finished with two points, six rebounds (five of which came on the offensive glass), two assists, and a steal.

His best sequence of the game came in the final three minutes of the first half when he won two contested offensive rebounds, batting the ball back toward a teammate on the perimeter until fellow freshman Isaiah Evans eventually buried a 3-pointer.

“I’ve watched Pat play for some time now,” Scheyer said after the game. “His feel and instincts as a (6 foot 11 inch) guy with a (7 foot 3 inch) wingspan, or whatever it is, is rare. His ability is special.”

The four-star prospect sat out the first three games of the season with a foot injury, an issue that hindered him in high school as well. Scheyer took time to make sure those behind the scenes helping the young Blue Devil get ready heard their flowers.

“Our medical team has done an incredible job with him,” he said. “Incredible. And it would have been very easy to try to rush him and get him back out there as soon as possible, but our thing was, he’s been through a lot in high school, how can we get him out there pain-free?”

However, if the Cameron Crazies want more time with Ngongba on the court, they might need to wait until his sophomore campaign.

“It’s going to be limited minutes this year,” Scheyer said point-blank. “It just is. We’re cautious with his loads in practice and the science behind it all.”

Despite that, however, Ngongba’s brief time on the court spelled 7-footer Khaman Maluach. With superstar forward Cooper Flagg and Syracuse transfer Maliq Brown both alongside him, Scheyer had three different players at least 6 feet 9 inches tall on the court at one time. The addition of another center, especially one as productive as Ngongba looked on Saturday, can’t be overstated.

“He’s going to continue to grow,” Scheyer concluded. “I understand with him, there’s still going to be some rust. That’s his first game, there’s going to be some rust that he’s got to work through, but I love what he did.”

Incoming Duke freshman Patrick Ngongba named to USA Basketball U18 team

USA Basketball announced its 12-man U18 team on Tuesday, and Duke fans will notice a familiar name.

USA Basketball announced its 12-man roster for the U18 men’s basketball team on Tuesday, and incoming Duke freshman Patrick Ngongba II made the final cut.

The 6-foot-11 Paul VI product is one of the six members of Duke’s vaunted 2024 recruiting class. Every signee is within the top 50 of 247Sports’ Recruiting Rankings, led by consensus top prospect Cooper Flagg.

Ngongba, for his part, is the site’s 19th-ranked overall prospect and the fifth-highest center in the class.

Ngongba and fellow signee Darren Harris played together in high school, helping lead Paul VI to the national championship game at Chipotle Nationals, losing only to Flagg’s Montverde Academy.

Ngongba, Flagg, and South Sudanese 7-footer Khaman Maluach will help form of the nation’s tallest and most formidable backcourts for the 2024-25 season.

Ngongba was the only Blue Devil to work out for the team, although Duke head coach Jon Scheyer joined him as a court coach during the evaluation process.

Cameron Crazies who love the recruiting trail will also notice Nate Ament, a potential name to watch in the 2025 recruiting cycle.

Duke basketball signee Patrick Ngongba II named a finalist for USA Basketball U18 team

Patrick Ngongba II, one of six top-50 recruits in Duke’s 2024 recruiting class, is one of 18 candidates for the 12-man USA Basketball U18 roster.

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.

Cooper Flagg aside, Duke’s remaining 2024 signees all finish in the top 50 of On3’s final rankings

Taking a look at the rest of Duke’s 2024 class in the final rankings.

Cooper Flagg cemented himself as the clear-cut No. 1 prospect in America during his final season in high school, leading Montverde Academy to an undefeated season en route to a national championship. He took home many awards and made multiple statement appearances during high school basketball’s most prestigious postseason all-star games, like the Nike Hoop Summit and Jordan Brand Classic.

However, he’s not the only prospect the Blue Devils are set to bring in this summer. Duke’s 2024 class is pretty historic, even without considering Flagg. In the final On3 rankings, all six Duke signees finished within the top 50 spots.

Khaman Maluach, a projected lottery pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, slots in at ninth in the final rankings. His performance in the Nike Hoop Summit wasn’t spectacular, but his work at NBA Academy Africa and in the Basketball Africa League showcases why he’s considered a potential top-five pick in next year’s draft. The 7-footer has the tools to be a game-changer for Duke next season alongside Flagg.

Kon Knueppel finished at 17th, and his blend of size and skill gave him an easy path to playing time off the bench next season as a steady offensive presence. He can shoot the ball, handle it, and even initiate offense.

Isaiah Evans dominated social media, especially in North Carolina, as he cemented himself as one of the state’s best high school players in state history. His North Mecklenburg high school team won a state championship at North Carolina’s highest classification, and they rode the wave of Evans’s talented shotmaking and fiery competitive spirit to get it done. Evans may be slight physically, but his length, energy, and shotmaking will be valuable to Duke next year. On3 ranked him as the 25th-best prospect in their final rankings.

Patrick Ngongba joined the Blue Devils in November. While his high school season was very short due to an injury that kept him out until March, he showcased a little of his game in the Chipotle Nationals. Getting his conditioning back and back into shape is his biggest hurdle as he gets ready for Duke, but even with his injuries, On3 ranked him as their 35th-best prospect.

Last but certainly not least, Darren Harris clocks in at 43 in the final rankings. The sharpshooting guard raised many eyebrows in his senior season, highlighted by an electric showing at the Chipotle Nationals alongside Ngongba on their Paul VI Catholic team that finished the season ranked second in the country. Harris can shoot the cover off of the ball, and because of that, it’s hard not to see him competing for minutes come November.

Duke’s class has a lot of depth and versatility, and it will be fun seeing all the talented freshmen get on campus and try to acclimate themselves to the college game. Duke may have six freshmen coming in, but it’s hard not to be excited about what they can offer next year’s team.

Cooper Flagg, Montverde win Chipotle Nationals title

Flagg, the No. 1 overall recruit in the class, helped Montverde Academy defeat Paul VI Catholic and some future teammates in the Chipotle Nationals title game on Saturday.

Duke signee Cooper Flagg and Montverde Academy won the Chipotle Nationals title on Saturday afternoon, defeating Paul VI Catholic 79-63 in the championship game.

Flagg, the top recruit in the Class of 2024, scored 16 points in the final game after he made six of his nine field-goal attempts. He made two 3-pointers, came down with eight rebounds, and rejected six blocks in 31 minutes of playing time.

The win caps off an undefeated 33-0 season for the Florida powerhouse.

Flagg defeated two future teammates on Paul VI’s side. Four-star recruits Darren Harris (16 points, three rebounds, three assists) and Patrick Ngongba (11 points, four rebounds, three assists) will both join Flagg in Durham as part of Duke’s top-ranked 2024 recruiting class.

Montverde also took down Cameron and Cayden Boozer, the twin sons of former Duke star Carlos Boozer and five-star 2025 prospects, in the semifinals.

Patrick Ngongba commits to Duke, adding to the Blue Devils’ No.1-ranked 2024 class

Patrick Ngongba committed to Duke basketball on Saturday.

Duke basketball got another huge commitment this week, landing four-star Patrick Ngongba.

Earlier this week, Duke received a commitment from Cooper Flagg, the top player in the 2024 recruiting class.

A center, Ngongba is the No. 20 player in the nation according to 247Sports. He held offers from programs such as UConn, Kansas State, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan and Syracuse among others.

He had taken an official visit to UConn in mid-October.

The commitment of Ngongba solidifies Duke with the top recruiting class in the nation.

In addition to Ngongba and Flagg, the Duke 2024 recruiting class also features five-star forwards Isiah Evans and Kon Knueppel and a four-star guard in Darren Harris.

With five players committed to this class for Duke, it will be interesting to see how the Blue Devils finish out this class. They are rumored to be very strongly in the mix for Dylan Harper, a five-star guard from Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, New Jersey).

Harper is a consensus top-three player in the class and was the top player in the nation until Flagg re-classified and joined the 2024 class.

A wakeboarding Tim Duncan continued to showcase immaculate vibes in his retired life

Tim Duncan listened to “Country Grammar” by Nelly while catching a wave.

Tim Duncan had one of the best NBA careers in league history and now that he is retired, he gets to spend his time doing whatever he wants.

That recently included some time on the water working out with Patrick Ngongba. Duncan is said to have enjoyed a “great week of workouts” with the basketball prospect, who is a big man at Paul VI High School in Virginia and competes at the AAU level for Team Takeover on the Nike EYBL circuit.

During this video posted by Ngongba, the longtime Spurs big man is riding a wave while Nelly’s “Country Grammar” played in the background.

Duncan, who is from the U.S. Virgin Islands, seems pretty focused and laid back while on the water.

Perhaps that is because the five-time NBA champion was an aspirational Olympic swimmer before he started hooping (via NBA.com):

“Hurricane Hugo swept through Duncan’s hometown of St. Croix, Virgin Islands in 1989, erasing his dreams of becoming an Olympic swimmer because it destroyed all the local pools, eventually pushing him to the basketball courts. Having learned to swim at an early age like most kids in the Virgin Islands, Duncan loved to swim competitively, and by 13, he had clocked some of the fastest times in the United States in the 400-meter freestyle.

That all stopped when Hugo, a Category 4 storm, hit St. Croix as one of the most devastating hurricanes ever.

Like many other local swimmers, Duncan tried switching his training site to the ocean, but a fear of sharks pushed him out of the water.

Duncan wouldn’t pick up a basketball until age 14.”

Good for Duncan for overcoming his fear of sharks to enjoy some time on the water while listening to Nelly.

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