Duke's Ngongba Practices for NCAA Tournament

0:00Stay informed in two minutes or less with Durham news today from the Daily News Now. Duke basketball's top big man Pat Nong Ba could return for their next NCAA tournament game. Coach John Shire says, the six foot 11 forward will practice Friday afternoon and might suit up Saturday against TCU. The number one overall seed, Blue Devil's advance past Siena 71-65 on Thursday without him. He's used just a seven-man rotation in that opener, leaning on freshman like Cameron Booser at center. Ungong Ba sat out after a foot injury from the final regular season win over North Carolina on March 7th. He has not played since, using a boot and scooter during team activities this week. Shire calls in Ungong Ba, a game-changer who lets the team run its best lineup. Averaging 10.7 points, six rebounds, and leading with 32 blocks on 60.2% shooting, he started 28 of, 29 games for the 33 and two Blue Devils.

1:02The coach wants to see how Ungong Ba moves in practice before committing him fully, avoiding any rest from his layoff. Duke won the ACC tournament, shorthanded, and feels confident either way heading into the second round. Meanwhile, guard Caleb Foster's broken right foot keeps him sidelined indefinitely, maybe until the final four if they get there. With practice underway, eyes stay on Ungong, shaking off the injury as Duke pushes deeper into March madness.