After finishing an impressive 35–4 season, the Duke Blue Devils are facing a major transition. Head coach Jon Scheyer saw three of his biggest stars—Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and Tyrese Proctor—declare for the 2025 NBA Draft, leaving fans wondering what’s next for the storied program.
But just when it looked like a full rebuild was inevitable, Duke delivered a game-changing update: former five-star recruit Patrick Ngongba is coming back for his sophomore season.
Even more impressive, not a single Blue Devil entered the transfer portal before Tuesday’s deadline—an increasingly rare feat in today’s college basketball landscape.
Ngongba, who joined Duke’s star-studded 2024 class (alongside Flagg, Knueppel, Khaman Maluach, Isaiah Evans, and Darren Harris), was one of the top centers in the country. Ranked No. 6 at his position and No. 26 overall by the 247Sports Composite, he was heavily pursued by national powerhouses like Kentucky, UConn, Kansas, Indiana, and Notre Dame before choosing the Blue Devils.
Though he had limited playing time in his freshman year—averaging 10.6 minutes, 3.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 0.8 assists per game (according to ESPN)—Ngongba is expected to step into a much bigger role with so many roster spots opening up.
Also returning are Evans and Harris, two more elite players from the same class, giving Scheyer a strong core to keep Duke in the championship conversation.
