The Blue Devils’ plans for a dominant frontcourt in 2025 just hit a speed bump — and it comes in the form of a walking boot. Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer has confirmed that sophomore sensation Patrick Ngongba, the 5-star center poised for a breakout season, is sidelined “for the time being” with a left foot injury. For a program already dreaming of another deep March run, the health of their towering big man could be the deciding factor between good and great.
Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer provided a medical update on sophomore center Patrick Ngongba last week. According to Scheyer, Ngongba has a walking boot on his left foot and is considered “out for the time being.”
This isn’t the first foot injury of Ngongba’s young career, something that Scheyer also acknowledged. A right foot injury caused him to miss his high school senior season at Paul VI Catholic in Virginia.
As they continue to work through his recovery, Scheyer’s focus isn’t on getting a body back into the rotation, but getting back a truly healthy Patrick Ngongba.
“He’s had foot injuries in his high school career and we’re still getting him back to 100% health,” Scheyer said. “It’s not about anything that he’s done. It’s just about getting him to his full 100% productivity on the court, where he can move completely pain-free, and also where he can get back to being the level of player he can be. He’s gonna be a terrific player for us.”
Ngongba averaged just 3.9 points and 2.7 rebounds in 10.5 minutes per game last season for the Blue Devils, as he sat behind star freshman Khaman Maluach, who was recently selected as a top 10 player in the NBA Draft. With Maluach out of the picture, Ngongba has an opportunity to build upon his strong end to his freshman year, in which he averaged 6.5 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.2 blocks while shooting an impressive 78.3% from the field and 76.2% from the line in 12.1 minutes per game in the postseason.
While he may not be the unique physical athlete Maluach was for the Blue Devils, Patrick Ngongba showcased a high-level basketball IQ that will allow him to thrive in an expanded role. However, as his head coach said, the team needs to get him “back to 100% health” before that can happen.
