Patrick Ngongba's Impact on Duke's Defense

0:00On March 19th, Patrick Nongba made a big leap this season for the Duke Blue Devils after a quiet freshman year. Last season, he saw just 10 minutes per game across 30 appearances, putting up 3.9 points on solid shooting. Now a starter in 28 of 29 games, he's averaging 10.7 points, 6 rebounds, nearly 2 assists, and 1.1 blocks, while shooting 60% from the field. He's grown as game 2, stepping out for 3 pointers at 27.6%. One standout night came against the 15th ranked Florida Gators, where he tallied 11 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and a team high 5 blocks. Fans and coaches have noticed his defensive presence in the paint, which has been key to Duke's strong run. Without him, the team struggles to protect the rim, as seen in their road loss to North Carolina when he fouled out early after 16 minutes. During a last second winner, right now, a foot injury has him in a walking boot, sidelineing

1:01him for the regular season finale, the ACC tournament, and likely the NCAA opener. Again, Sienna, Duke still grabbed the conference title, but is absent stung. Duke will need others to feel that interior role as they push through March madness, turning a strength into a question mark for their de-tournament. Run. Made in AI.