The consensus among Duke fans coming into the 2026-27 season was that the most important player on the team would be junior center Patrick Ngongba II. Getting him back for this season was a major roster retention win for Jon Scheyer, perhaps bigger than any other addition the Blue Devils made in the offseason.
On Sunday in the 90-84 exhibition win, Ngongba proved that he might just be Duke's best player, not just the most important.
Jon Scheyer said after the game that he didn't want Ngongba to "get too big of a head," but that's okay. We have no such reservations.
He went toe-to-toe with the potential No. 1 pick in the draft in 2027 - Kansas superstar Tyran Stokes. And Ngongba looked every bit his equal.
Ngongba finished with 28 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocked shots in 32 minutes. He looked healthy, fast, and aggressive. He dominated in the paint, connecting on 8-of-10 shots from the inside, but he also once again showed his rapidly improved outside shot, knocking down 1-of-2 from three. He finished the exhibition slate 4-of-5 from downtown.
It was a dominant effort from Ngongba, the kind that completely raises this team's ceiling. Duke identified a mismatch in the post against Kansas and repeatedly fed the junior over and over again.
Jon Scheyer offers plenty of praise for star big man Patrick Ngongba after Kansas exhibition
Scheyer might not have wanted to give Ngongba a big head, but he still couldn't help but offer a bunch of praise for his star big man.
"He controlled the entire game: his passing, his scoring, his rebounding, defense," Scheyer said. ...He's just a winning player. And I think his feel for the game - he understood that tonight it was more scoring and more decisiveness, and it totally changed our team. It totally changed our team. He's so smart. He's like a point guard in some ways, the way he sees the floor. And then his ability to protect, his ability to switch, he's rare in terms of a big guy that has that much versatility.
Ngongba was a dominant force against Kansas. He's going to be a dominant force most nights with his ability to play inside-out, his vision as a passer, and his massive impact as a defender.
Ngongba's health is of vital importance for the Blue Devils this season. While Duke has more size this year than last with the addition of Belmont transfer Drew Scharnowski and freshman Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, there's just no substitute for what Ngongba brings to the table.
This version of Ngongba won't only be one of Duke's most impactful and important players, but a legitimate contender for ACC Player of the Year.
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