Rather than sulk over the shortcomings in the 2026 NCAA Tournament for too long, the Duke Blue Devils and head coach Jon Scheyer are already on the hunt, reloading for another deep run in 2027. After the recent news of Cayden Boozer's return to Durham for another year, the Blue Devils received more good news on that front.
Duke, which has been a factory for NBA lottery picks, is seeing one of its stars return for the 2026-27 season, bringing back some continuity to an already star-studded lineup.
Duke center Patrick Ngongba II is returning to the Blue Devils for his third season. The announcement gives Jon Scheyer a steady force in the paint
Duke big man Pat Ngongba will return to the Blue Devils next season, he announced. https://t.co/H3fITJEuWe pic.twitter.com/DRboX01KMk
Patrick Ngongba II has appeared in 62 games for the Duke Blue Devils over two years, with 28 starts under his belt. He blossomed this season, putting up a career-best 10.1 points per game, to go with 5.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.1 blocks each game.
He shot a strong 60.6% from the field, while converting on 66.4% of his free-throw attempts. While Ngongba has shot 32 threes in his career, it is not an area Duke is asking much of him in, as he is just a 25% career three-point shooter.
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This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: Duke center Patrick Ngongba II to return for 2026-27 season