What a difference two games can make. Against Florida State, Duke struggled and barely pulled off a win in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals. Then in the semifinals, the Blue Devils cruised to a win over Clemson, with fans feeling confident again.
Cayden Boozer's smile vs. Clemson speaks volumes as he finds his footing as a starter
However, that doesn't take away from the fact that Duke has looked totally different due to Caleb Foster and Patrick Ngongba being injured. Foster's status is a bit worse, as Scheyer has said he won't be able to potentially return unless Duke makes the Final Four.
As for Ngongba? Fans were ready to hit the panic button after he was spotted on a knee scooter for the Florida State contest. In some good news, Scheyer said after the victory over Clemson that Ngonba continues to make progress and that he's still 'trending' to play in the Big Dance. That's huge:
Duke coach Jon Scheyer says center Patrick Ngongba took a good step with the team's medical staff today, and is still trending well to be able to play in the NCAA Tournament (like Scheyer announced earlier this week).
— Brendan Marks (@BrendanRMarks) March 14, 2026
Duke star Patrick Ngongba is trending towards playing in the NCAA Tournament
Maliq Brown has stepped in for Ngongba and looked fantastic in his new role. Still, Ngongba is the starter for a reason and Brown is able to provide quality minutes off the bench. Getting Ngongba back to full health and on the hardwood is a top priority for Duke.
With Foster out, Cayden Boozer has taken over at point guard and while he looked sluggish at times against FSU, he bounced back in a nice way against Clemson. From our chair, it'd be a shock if we see Foster (fractured bone in his foot) back this season.
The same can't be said for Ngongba, as he's moving in the right direction. On the season, the 6-11 sophomore is averaging more than 10 points a game, while adding six rebounds. He's been a force in the paint for Duke and more of the same should be coming in the tourney.
Duke has been able to ride out the storm for now without Foster and Ngongba, but if this group wants to push for a national title, the Blue Devils won't be able to survive without the two. With that said, while we think Foster won't be back, getting Ngongba back in the fold is going to be crucial. Thanks to Scheyer's latest update, it seems like it won't be long before he's in action once again.