Caleb Foster, Patrick Ngongba Give Duke Exactly What They Have Been Looking For

The Blue Devils are getting its leadership duo back for another season

Feb 28, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Caleb Foster (1) gestures to head coach Jon Scheyer during the second half against the Virginia Cavaliers at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Duke won 77-51. | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Duke will always have young talent on its team, but it sometimes lacks veteran leadership because players leave the program early for the NBA, but that will not be the case next season.

Sure, the Blue Devils will be very talented with freshmen and highly sought after recruits but they’re also getting older. A day after Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell announced his commitment to Duke, junior point guard Caleb Foster announced his return to the program.

It came nearly 15 hours after the deadline for players to enter the transfer portal, although some could still appear once its paperwork is officially processed.

Foster joins starting center Patrick Ngongba to remain with the team for at least another season as both are in position to be named a team captain next winter.

There was thought that Caleb Foster could opt to enter the transfer portal as Duke retained Cayden Boozer and is bringing in freshman 5-star guard Deron Rippey Jr. to the team. In addition to Blackwell, the Blue Devils are also waiting for an answer on the status of Dame Sarr, who will either return or head to the NBA Draft.

In theory, it creates a logjam in the backcourt but clearly Jon Scheyer believes he can work it out.

But the return of Foster and Ngongba should not be undersold. Their presence is much different than adding veterans out of the transfer portal to fill its roster. They know the standard at Duke; they will be able to set the tone and expectations for the season in the summer and have the implicit trust of Scheyer.

While neither might be the leading scorer on the team, their impacts will go far beyond the box score in trying to get Duke over the hump of the last two seasons and win a National Championship.