The No. 1 team in the nation, the Duke Blue Devils, has been looking better than ever in the weeks leading up to the March basketball.
Following their buzzer-beating loss to North Carolina in early February, the Blue Devils came back stronger, knocking off No. 20 Clemson, No. 1 Michigan, No. 11 Virginia, and getting their revenge on North Carolina. Duke will now prepare for a shot at the program’s 24th ACC Championship.
However, the Blue Devils will be without Patrick Ngongba II for the ACC Tournament. Duke head coach Jon Scheyer said the 6-foot-11 center will sit out of the tournament due to foot soreness, but is hopeful to return for the NCAA Tournament.
The update came alongside news that junior guard Caleb Foster will be out indefinitely after suffering a right foot fracture.
Patrick Ngongba II’s Impressive Sophomore Season
The entire nation has been awed by the impressive season of ACC Player of the Year Cameron Boozer, but Patrick Ngongba II’s contribution to the Blue Devils this season has been a big factor in Duke’s climb to the top-ranked team in the nation.
The sophomore center is third on Duke in points per game (10.7), second in rebounds per game (6.0), and leads the Blue Devils in blocks per game (1.1).
Ngongba’s foot injury kept him out of Duke’s regular-season finale as they beat No. 17 North Carolina with a final score of 76-61. He also missed Duke’s win over Pittsburgh on Feb. 10 with a wrist injury.
CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish projected Ngongba to get selected as the No. 23 overall pick in his latest 2026 NBA mock draft and as the third center coming off the board behind Kentucky’s Jayden Quaintance and Houston’s Chris Cenac Jr.
Duke has plenty of reinforcements to contribute in Ngongba’s absence. Senior big man Maliq Brown gives up some height with his 6-foot-9, 225-pound frame, but his defensive presence will be valuable for the Blue Devils. Brown leads Duke in steals per game (1.9) this season.
Ifeanyi Ufochukwu could also be an option for Duke. At 6-foot-11, 250 pounds, the Rice transfer has a small amount of experience in the Blue Devils’ rotation. He’s appeared in just five games this season.
Caleb Foster Injury
Jon Scheyer didn’t rule Caleb Foster out for the rest of the season, but added that the junior will miss “foreseeable” time after undergoing surgery on Sunday to address a fractured right foot.
The Duke coach mentioned that the team would have to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament for a chance at Foster returning this season.
Foster suffered the injury in the first half of Duke’s 76-61 victory over North Carolina on March 7.
This update will be difficult for the Blue Devils to adjust to. Foster is the fourth-leading scorer on the team this season (8.5 points per game), tied for second in assists per game (2.8), and is one of the most consistent three-point shooters for Duke this season (40.2% from three).
Although he’s been the starting point guard this season, freshman Cayden Boozer has plenty of experience in bringing the ball up the court. He will likely be handed the starting duties for Duke in the postseason.
Duke will get some reps with their new, downsized unit as the No. 1 seed in the ACC Tournament this week. They will play either Florida State or California on Thursday in the quarterfinals.
Duke Center Gets Dealt Injury News to go Along With Caleb Foster