Big man Patrick Ngongba request a major need for Duke’s 2024

Patrick Ngongba’s arrival fills a significant void for Duke.

You could argue that Patrick Ngongba II is the most significant prospect in Duke’s class even though he may not be the highest ranked player.

Regarding positioning, the center position held utmost significance for the Blue Devils. After the season, Ryan Young will no longer be eligible, Kyle Filipowski is almost certain to join the NBA, and no other player on the team has contributed consistently to the front line.

Their quest for a large man became more challenging when they failed to land Flory Bidunga this summer, as it appeared that Ngongba was now open to considering other suitors.

But in the end, Jon Scheyer and his team won once more, defeating Kentucky and Kansas State from Ngongba’s group of finalists. They add to a recruiting class that included Cooper Flagg, Isaiah Evans, Kon Knueppel, and Darren Harris, and I think that’s fantastic.

        SCOUTING NGONGBA

Ngongba has a tremendous combination of size, length, and offensive skill. He stands just shy of 7-feet with ultra-broad shoulders, a 7-foot-4 wingspan, and a big frame that gives him a significant presence on both ends of the floor.

He has extremely soft hands and touch, equally impressive footwork, and a high release point around the paint. He provides a true low-post scorer, but is also an inside-out threat with developing shooting range out to the arc. He’s a good passer who is starting to punish double-teams, facilitate from different spots on the floor, and even deliver balls with both hands. He has versatility playing out of ball-screen actions and can also be effective operating in dribble-hand-offs. Overall, Ngongba is an exceptionally efficient offensive player (70% FG in the EYBL regular season), but one who is showing more signs of being able to anchor a half-court offense down the road.

Durability and mobility are the key variables for him moving forward. He missed time with injuries early in his high school career and was not an especially fluid mover when he returned. While he’s made great strides since, he still projects as a drop coverage big man at the next level, without much defensive versatility. His physical presence in the lane gives him some value as a rim protector (1.3 blocks per game), although he still often has to shuffle his feet before elevating, while his length and hands allow him to own his area on the glass (7.8 rebounds in 19.3 minutes).

Finally, Ngongba has shown a rapid rate of improvement since getting healthy, which could be a key variable to projecting his long-term upside.

      THE FIT

The expectation is that Ngongba should have the opportunity to be the team’s starting center from day one.

Exactly what the rest of the roster looks like remains to be seen, but both Sean Stewart and TJ Power project to return as sophomores while Christian Reeves will be a junior. Flagg, and to a lesser extent Evans, could be utilized along the frontline as well. With Stewart, Power, and Flagg all capable of playing multiple positions, it affords Scheyer flexibility in the way he constructs his line-ups. Where Ngongba adds to that is with his offensive versatility. If he’s paired with Flagg and Power, he could be utilized more on the interior. His ability to stretch the floor could not only open the lane when he’s paired with a more interior based forward like Stewart, but it could also create space for perimeter playmakers to attack off the dribble.

In terms of defense, Duke should already be accustomed to the fact that he isn’t particularly switchable and is likely a drop coverage big man, considering the true big men who have passed through the program in recent years.

Ngongba may wind up being a multi-year college player, which would give Scheyer a multi-year starter to base his roster construction around. That seems to be the model in Durham these days, as Scheyer is recruiting at an unparalleled level for the program, but he also intends to avoid having a freshman class that comes and goes every year.