Blue Devil Country

Duke Basketball Signee Provides Quality Minutes in 96-Point Victory

Incoming Duke basketball rookie Patrick Ngongba II helped power a dominant start to the United States' time in Buenos Aires.

Matt Giles

Duke basketball freshman Patrick Ngongba II
Duke basketball freshman Patrick Ngongba II / Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

Patrick Ngongba II is the only member of the Duke basketball program's six-deep 2024 recruiting haul who was not on campus last week for K Academy. Instead, the 6-foot-11 center was with the USA Basketball U18 Men's National Team preparing for the FIBA AmeriCup in Buenos Aires.

ALSO READ: Top-Ranked Duke Target Planning to Make Some Cuts

That action tipped off on Monday. And it's safe to say the U.S. squad has fared well thus far, including some promising contributions off the bench from Ngongba.

Team USA finished 3-0 in group play, which determines seeding for Friday's quarterfinal matchups.

In Monday's 88-66 opening victory over Argentina, Ngongba played 12 minutes, finishing with three points, three boards, and one block. He followed that up on Tuesday with 12 points, six rebounds, three assists, one block, and zero turnovers, shooting 3-for-7 from the field and 6-for-8 at the charity stripe across his 19 minutes on the floor in an extremely lopsided 150-54 blowout over Belize.


And on Wednesday, the 18-year-old played 11 minutes in an 88-57 win over Brazil, tallying two points and eight rebounds.

He's now averaging 5.7 points and 5.7 rebounds in 13.8 minutes per outing at the FIBA AmeriCup.

Patrick Ngongba II, a five-star prospect out of prep powerhouse Paul VI Catholic (Va.) who ranks No. 25 overall on the 247Sports 2024 Composite, and his U.S. teammates faces Puerto Rico (0-3, Group A) on Friday. The semifinals are on Saturday, and the championship game takes place on Sunday night.

The other five pieces to Duke basketball's top-ranked batch of incoming rookies are five-star forward Cooper Flagg, five-star center Khaman Maluach, five-star forward Isaiah Evans, five-star forward Kon Knueppel, and Ngongba's Paul VI Catholic teammate, four-star wing Darren Harris.

ALSO READ: Duke Head Coach Jon Scheyer Outlines Ideal Roster Construction

Published |Modified
Matt Giles
MATT GILES

Matt Giles is the editor and publisher of Duke Blue Devils on SI, North Carolina Tar Heels on SI, and NC State Wolfpack on SI, making him a key source for comprehensive coverage of these storied college basketball programs. Since joining SI in 2022, Matt has been dedicated to providing in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive content on all three teams. He covers everything from game previews and recaps to player profiles and recruiting updates. Matt's expert knowledge of these teams has made his work a go-to resource for fans and followers of Duke, NC State, and UNC. As publisher, he shapes the editorial direction, ensuring that the most relevant and timely information reaches his audience.

Home/Basketball