Duke Injury Report for NCAA Tournament Round of 64

The Duke Blue Devils will kick off their push for a sixth National Championship in program history at 2:50 pm ET against 16-seed Siena. The Blue Devils enter the NCAA Tournament as the event's No. 1 overall seed and will face the Saints in Greenville, SC.

As expected, Duke is one of the most popular picks to win this season's national title. The Blue Devils are led by National Player of the Year frontrunner Cameron Boozer and are arguably the best defensive team in college basketball.

Mar 18, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer reacts during a practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

However, Duke will face some challenges in arguably the toughest region, the East. All of the top five seeds in the East Region are ranked inside the top 20 at KenPom in adjusted defensive efficiency, with physical bigs that could pose issues for the Blue Devils down low.

To make matters worse, the Blue Devils are dealing with a couple of key injuries and will be without two starters for at least the Round of 64. The long-term status for both of these critical pieces is unknown, but it is almost certain that both will be out as Duke kicks it off in Greenville.

Patrick Ngongba

Sophomore center Patrick Ngongba last played on March 2 in Duke's 93-64 victory at NC State. He missed the regular-season finale at Cameron Indoor Stadium against North Carolina as well as the entire ACC Tournament.

Ngongba is dealing with foot soreness, and although he is expected to be back relatively quickly in the NCAA Tournament, it is very doubtful he plays against Siena on Thursday.

Feb 14, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils center Patrick Ngongba II (21) shoots over Clemson Tigers forward RJ Godfrey (0) during the second half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

"He's been progressing ... but think it's very unlikely that he plays [Thursday]," Jon Scheyer said on Wednesday. "We're taking it day by day. He's itching to play, but we're not quite there just yet. ... We'll do everything we can to get ready for Saturday and go from there."

It looks like the Blue Devils are being extremely cautious, given Ngongba has dealt with foot injuries for practically the entirety of his collegiate career thus far.

Caleb Foster

In Duke's victory over the Tar Heels to end the regular season, starting junior guard Caleb Foster left the contest in the first half and later returned to the bench in a walking boot. It was later determined that Foster had suffered a fractured right foot.

As Ngongba is expected to be back sooner rather than later, the same cannot be said for Duke's lead guard. Foster will not play against Siena, and it is unclear whether he will suit up at all for the entirety of the NCAA Tournament.

Feb 7, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Derek Dixon (3) passes the ball to guard Seth Trimble (7) (not pictured) as Duke Blue Devils forward Maliq Brown (6) and guard Caleb Foster (1) and guard Isaiah Evans (3) converge on him in the final seconds of the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Blue Devils have yet to lose with Ngongba and Foster out of the lineup, but March Madness is a whole new monster.