Patrick Ngongba II was supposed to only miss the ACC Tournament. Then, he was questionable for Duke's first-round game against the Siena Saints, where he rode the bench as the Blue Devils eked out their win.
Now, Duke head coach Jon Scheyer has shared that he believes his sophomore center is "hopeful" for the Blue Devils' second-round game against the TCU Horned Frogs.
However, despite Scheyer expressing his optimism about Ngongba's return, he was seen relying on a walking boot and a knee scooter to get around the Moda Center, only one day before Duke played its second game of the NCAA Tournament.
Patrick Ngongba II still in walking boot and on knee scooter
Ngongba hasn't played a moment of in-game basketball since the regular season, and even missed the Blue Devils final regular-season game of the year when they played and defeated the UNC Tar Heels by double digits.
Pat still in the boot and with the scooter⬇️ pic.twitter.com/rDcvz2pNYw
— Matt Giles (@MattGilesBD) March 20, 2026
Ngongba's absence from the lineup nearly resulted in disaster as the Blue Devils narrowly bypassed the Saints to advance to the second round.
Of course, fellow veteran player and usual starter Caleb Foster is also seen still in a boot and on a scooter after he suffered a fractured foot against the Tar Heels and had to undergo a reparative surgery.
Scheyer was also hopeful that Foster could return by the Final Four, but that has grown increasingly unlikely.
Also read: 3 adjustments Jon Scheyer must make to fix Duke for a Final Four run
On Saturday, March 21, with or without Ngongba in the lineup, No. 1-seed Duke is set to take on the No. 9-seed Horned Frogs at 5:15 p.m. ET. Only time will tell if Scheyer's hopefulness pans out for the Blue Devils.