Elite 4-star center Patrick Ngongba commits to Duke

Fairfax (Va.) Paul VI Catholic four-star center Patrick Ngongba has committed to Duke.

He chose the Blue Devils over Kansas State and Kentucky.

Ngongba is the No. 21 overall prospect and No. 3 center in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 2 player in Virginia.

The 6-foot-10, 235-pounder took his official visit to Durham on Oct. 21 when Duke hosted its Countdown to Craziness event. He also visited back in June.

“Ngongba, whose mom, Tajama (Abraham) Ngongba, was drafted into the WNBA in 1997, took a big step forward this summer,” wrote On3’s Jamie Shaw. “The four-star averaged 12.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks while shooting 70.3 percent from the field during Nike’s EYBL Circuit regular season.”

The addition of Ngongba makes five pledges for Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils in the 2024 cycle. The quintet of commits make up the No. 1 class in the nation, according to the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Ranking.

Highlighting the class is Montverde (Fla.) Academy Five-Star Plus+ forward Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 overall prospect in the cycle, who committed to Duke over UConn on Oct. 30. Huntersville (N.C.) North Mecklenburg SF Isaiah Evans is the other five-star in the class, as he checks in as the No. 13 recruit.

Milwaukee Wisconsin Lutheran four-star shooting guard Kon Knueppel is the top-ranked player out of Wisconsin and the No. 17 prospect in the cycle. He’s the highest-ranked of the three four-stars in the class, which now includes Ngongba and his Paul VI Catholic teammate, SG Darren Harris, Duke’s oldest 2024 pledge.

Ngongba has an On3 NIL Valuation of $108K. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.

Patrick Ngongba Scouting Summary

“Patrick Ngongba has a strong body with good length, and a projectable frame that should continue to grow as he enters a college strength program. He had a lot of offensive skill with soft hands and patience. Ngongba has a comfortable go-to move on the block with counters in his arsenal. He is comfortable finishing, in traffic, with either hand. Ngongba has touch, makes his free throws. He is an above average straight-line athlete, there could be questions about his lateral quickness and opening his hips and sliding his feet. He is a solid area rebounder. Ngongba has good instincts and a natural basketball IQ. He can go through bouts of consistency, especially with his motor. The offensive skill package is very intriguing and he has some production already in place. His mom and dad both played at George Washington.”