Patrick Ngongba Restores Duke's Championship Hopes with Return Against TCU

The Blue Devils got its starting center back and it changed everything about its outlook

Mar 21, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; Texas Christian University Horned Frogs guard Liutauras Lelevicius (3) drives to the basket against Duke Blue Devils center Patrick Ngongba (21) during the first half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

After weeks of speculation, Duke finally got Patrick Ngongba back on the court Saturday afternoon in the Round of 32 against TCU and his presence changed everything for the Blue Devils.

After not playing since March 1 due to “soreness”, Ngongba showed why he is so valuable to the success of the Duke basketball team following its Round of 64 scare against Siena.

In just 13 minutes on the floor, the Blue Devils outscored the Horned Frogs by 20 points. He scored just four points but added four rebounds, four assists, and a block while altering a handful of other shots around the rim.

In comparison, Duke only outscored TCU by four points in the 26 minutes that Maliq Brown was on the floor.

“We've seen Pat working his tail off to get back,” Brown said after the 81-58 victory. “Knowing Pat was going in this game gave us a lot of energy and a lot of boost going into this game. It just shows how important he is to the team having him on the court.”

When TCU took a 40-38 lead early in the second half, Ngongba was put back on the floor and flipped the game on its head. He registered the assist that tied the score at 40 and notched another one that gave the Blue Devils a lead, 46-44.

All four of his assists came in the second half.

“He gave us a lot of juice coming back,” Cameron Boozer said. “Even just walking through. To see him out there, we all got happy, ecstatic. I almost started jumping around and stuff, just because we know how hard he works and we know how much he means to the team.”

Despite still not having Caleb Foster active, Duke looked its best over the last two weeks with Patrick Ngongba on the floor. He gives the team a different dimension of rim protection and allows Maliq Brown to do what he does best as a roaming defender.

Now, Ngongba will get added time to rest as the Blue Devils will not return to the floor until Friday night in Washington D.C. for its Sweet 16 matchup against either Kansas or St. John’s.

He arrived to the arena in a walking boot and scooter on Saturday as a precaution but expect Duke to have its force in the paint available for the remainder of the NCAA Tournament, which elevates the Blue Devils back to a legit championship contender.