Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils have been on a search for a big man the entire summer and have landed one in the class of 2024 just in time for Thanksgiving. Patrick Ngongba II, a 6’11 center out of Paul VI Catholic High School in Northern Virginia has committed to the Blue Devils. Ngongba is a classmate of Duke commit Darren Harris. Duke fans are very familiar with Paul VI as the basketball powerhouse has been good to the Blue Devils yielding guards Jeremy Roach and Trevor Keels. Ngongba II is the highest-ranked recruit out of Virginia in the class of 2024 and is the fifth-highest ranked center overall in the class of 2024 according to 247sports. Ngonga is either a 4 or 5 star depending on which ranking service you peruse with 247Sports, Rivals and On3 listing Ngongba as a 4-star prospect and ESPN listing him as a 5. The big man is a consensus top 25 player according to all the major ranking services.
Basketball is literally in Ngongba II’s genes, he’s the son of two former collegiate basketball players who attended George Washington University. Patrick Ngongba, his father, played for the Revolutionaries from 1997-2001, his mother Tajama Abraham Ngongba played from 1993-1997. Tajama graduated as George Washington’s all-time leading scorer with 2,134 career points and played two seasons in the WNBA, she’s currently an assistant coach for the Georgetown women’s basketball team.
Ngongba has a big, strong frame with great length and very soft touch and hands. What he lacks in athleticism he makes up for in power and length. He uses his superior length to contest/block shots and to catch passes in the paint for easy finishes. He provides a true low-post scorer along with what should be the junior season for Christian Reeves for the Blue Devils and can play over either shoulder on offense and has good touch around the rim.
Ngongba has started to expand his game outside of the paint and has a burgeoning mid-range and jumper from beyond the arc. It’s not likely he’ll be called on to shoot 3’s but having that skillset is always a welcomed addition. His passing ability for a big is an underrated part of his game, especially passing out of double-teams.
Perceived as a 2 team race between Duke and Kansas State with Kentucky being the odd man out, KSU received the last official visit with the Blue Devils doing an in-home visit directly after during week of his commitment. He joins a stellar class that includes classmate Darren Harris, Isaiah Evans, Kon Knueppel and Cooper Flagg.
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