GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Duke coach Jon Scheyer is “hopeful” big man Patrick Ngongba II will play Saturday against TCU in the second round of the NCAA Tournament as he recovers from soreness in his right foot.
Ngongba has missed five straight games for the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed and East Region headliner. The first was a rivalry win to close the regular season against North Carolina, three games in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament and Thursday’s first-round March Madness win over Siena in which the Blue Devils flirted with becoming only the third 1 seed to lose to a 16 seed.
Scheyer said Friday he wanted to see how the 6-foot-11, 250-pound sophomore practiced before making a decision. Ngongba was still wearing a protective boot and using a knee scooter at least briefly on Friday as reporters waited for locker-room interviews to begin.
“I’m hopeful he’s going to be available,” Scheyer said. “We’ll see what he can do in practice. … I know he was itching to play (Thursday). Now, he hasn’t done what he needs to do in order to play, but if everything goes well, we’ll see him back in there.”
When asked specifically what he wanted to see from Ngongba in practice, Scheyer replied, “He needs to just be on the floor and move the way that he needs to to be successful. He’s been ramping up and doing a really good job. We just want to make sure he’s feeling right to play at a high level. Not just to be out there, but to be him.”
Ngongba is averaging 10.7 points and 6.0 rebounds, playing alongside star freshman Cameron Boozer and helping the Blue Devils use an inside-out approach that has often overwhelmed opponents.
Ngongba is capable of protecting the rim (averaging 1.1 blocks) while helping the Blue Devils routinely beat teams on the glass and outscore them in the paint. He has also proven to be a capable passer (1.9 assists).
Ngongba’s absence has forced Boozer to spend more time at the center position.
“I’m sure some things that he has to work through,” Scheyer said of potential rust for Ngongba. “But end of the day, he just changes the dynamic of our team where other guys aren’t playing out of position as much. We’re able to get a better rotation. And you have a guy who’s a big-time rim threat. … He does a lot for our team that changes the dynamic of who we are.”
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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness