The Duke basketball program wrapped up the three-team "Brotherhood" event it hosted with a 93-56 win over Howard. The Blue Devils hosted the event at Cameron Indoor Stadium alongside Howard and Niagara, which are coached by former Blue Devils Kenny Blakeney and Greg Paulus, respectively. Duke expectedly walked out of the event with two dominant victories, defeating the Bison and Purple Eagles by a combined 95 points. But no one is talking about the breakout of sophomore center Patrick Ngongba that's emerging in front of everybody's eyes. Ngongba has looked more comfortable on the offensive side of the ball with each game that comes, and his impact is starting to show up in the stat sheet.
Following the three-team event, Duke is gearing up for the most daunting part of its gruesome non-conference slate, as it will face four ranked opponents across its next five games. Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer has never shied away from giving his guys an extremely challenging non-con schedule, and this season, Duke might have the most difficult one in the entire country. The Blue Devils have already secured wins over Texas and Kansas.
Duke basketball sophomore center Patrick Ngongba is emerging into a star in front of the entire nation
One of the biggest question marks for the Blue Devils heading into the 2025-26 campaign was depth at the center position. Ngongba was always expected to be the starter at the five spot, but as he continuously struggled with injuries as a rookie, which limited his time on the floor, there were questions about how dominant he could be. Well, over his last few games, Ngongba has proven he can be a starting center on a championship-caliber team.
Over the Blue Devils' last three contests, Ngongba is averaging 15.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.0 blocks a game on a ridiculous 15-of-16 (93.7%) shooting from the field and 15-of-19 (78.9%) shooting from the free throw line. The 6'11" big man also hit the first three of his career against Niagara.
Ngongba had already established himself as an elite rim protector who could anchor the interior for Duke on the defensive side of the ball, but it was well known that he needed to expand his offensive game. As his sophomore season continues, Ngongba keeps improving as a roller in pick-and-roll situations and as a back-to-the-basket player. He can finish around the basket in so many different ways, and his footwork and use of his body have improved drastically from his first year in Durham.
After averaging 10.6 minutes a night in 30 appearances as a rookie, Ngongba is developing into one of the most impactful centers in the ACC in 2025.