The Duke basketball program is welcoming back half of its top-ranked 2024 recruiting class.
Freshman big man Patrick Ngongba II, known for his quiet demeanor off the court, had kept fans guessing about his future. But his recent silence wasn’t cause for alarm among the Blue Devil faithful. Sure enough, it was the Duke basketball social media team that broke the news—Ngongba will return for his sophomore season.
In a recent post accompanied by the message “gonna be special,” it was confirmed that Ngongba is officially coming back for another year in Durham.
After overcoming injuries that sidelined him for much of his senior year at Paul VI Catholic High School in Virginia, the 6-foot-11, 250-pound forward steadily progressed and became a reliable presence off the bench for Duke by late February and through March.
In 30 appearances during a 2024-25 season that saw the Blue Devils rack up 35 wins and a trip to the Final Four, Ngongba averaged 3.9 points and 2.7 rebounds in just 10.5 minutes per game, shooting an efficient 71.9% from the field and 72.7% from the free-throw line. He’s now expected to step into a starting role for the 2025-26 campaign.
Ngongba was part of Duke’s six-man 2024 recruiting class, which was ranked No. 1 nationally. While some of his fellow freshmen have already declared for the 2025 NBA Draft as potential lottery picks, three—including sharpshooters Isaiah Evans and Darren Harris—have opted to return for a second year in Durham.