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Duke's Jon Scheyer Gets Good News on Former Five-Star Recruit

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Max Escarpio | Last updated Apr 23, 2025 2:32 PM ET

Head coach Jon Scheyer is set to build the Duke Blue Devils back to national title contending form after suffering a few key departures.

Following a 35-4 season for Duke, the Blue Devils lost Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel and Tyrese Proctor. All three stars declared for the 2025 NBA Draft.

While Scheyer has to work toward rebuilding his team, there's good news for Duke. The Blue Devils didn't lose a single player to the transfer portal ahead of the Tuesday deadline.

On Wednesday, the Duke Blue Devils' official social media account revealed that former blue-chip prospect Patrick Ngongba will be returning for his second season with the program.

He entered the mix with the 2024 recruiting class, which included Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, Khaman Maluach, Isaiah Evans and Darren Harris.

Year 2️⃣ @NgongbaPatrick gonna be special‼️️ pic.twitter.com/H921hU0ilm
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) April 23, 2025

Ngongba originally committed to Duke as the No. 6 center and the No. 26 overall player in the nation, per the 247Sports composite rankings

Before committing to p lay for Scheyer and the Blue Devils, Ngongba was heavily recruited by powerhouse programs across the country, including Kentucky, UConn, Kansas, Indiana and Notre Dame.

While Ngongba entered his freshman season with a five-star rating, he rarely saw the floor. According to ESPN, Ngongba played 10.6 minutes per game, averaging 3.9 points, 2.7 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game.

With the mass departure of talent leaving the Duke Blue Devils for the NBA Draft, Ngongba is bound to see his playing opportunity increase next season.

Evans and Harris, blue-chip players who committed to Duke in the same class as Ngongba, will also be back with the Blue Devils for their second season.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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