Ngongba's Return Gives Duke Foundation To Land Key Transfer

Duke basketball received a significant boost when Patrick Ngongba announced he is returning to Durham for his junior season.

The decision carries real weight. Ngongba had been weighing a potential entry into the 2026 NBA Draft, where he was projected as a late first-round pick. Choosing to return rather than pursue that opportunity is a meaningful commitment to the program and likely came with a substantial NIL investment from Duke. For Jon Scheyer, it solves the most pressing roster need heading into next season.

Mar 19, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard John Blackwell (25) drives against High Point Panthers guard Conrad Martinez (9) during the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

With the center position secured, Scheyer's attention should now shift entirely to the transfer portal. Specifically, landing Wisconsin guard John Blackwell would give Duke the veteran scoring presence it needs to offset the likely departures of Cameron Boozer and Isaiah Evans.

What Blackwell Would Bring to Duke

Blackwell spent three seasons in the Big Ten at Wisconsin, developing from a complementary freshman into one of the more productive scorers in the conference.

As a freshman, he averaged eight points per game in 18.5 minutes, showing promise without commanding a featured role. His sophomore season marked a significant step forward, as he averaged 15 points per game while shooting 45 percent from the field and 32 percent from three.

This past season, Blackwell took another leap, averaging 19 points per game while improving his three-point efficiency to 39 percent. The year-over-year progression is as clean a development arc as you will find in the portal.

He is also a quality defender. Blackwell averaged more than one steal per game this past season and has shown the versatility to guard point guards while holding his own when switched onto bigger players.

How Ngongba and Blackwell Would Work Together

The pairing of Ngongba and Blackwell would give Duke one of the better complementary two-man combinations in the ACC.

Ngongba gives Scheyer a dominant defensive anchor, averaging 1.1 blocks per game, and he continued to develop offensively last season, averaging over 10 points per game on 60.6 percent shooting from the field. He is not a high-volume offensive player, but he does not need to be. His value as a lob threat and a pick-and-roll finisher creates exactly the kind of space a guard like Blackwell thrives in.

For Blackwell, who has never been the primary scoring option on his team at Wisconsin, the presence of Ngongba as a constant threat inside could make his job considerably easier. Scheyer could run off-ball screens to get Blackwell clean looks, use him as a decoy to free up Ngongba cutting to the basket, or run pick-and-roll action that forces defenses to choose between the two. The versatility of that pairing gives Scheyer multiple options to attack any defensive scheme.

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