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Duke center Pat Ngongba to return to Blue Devils in 2026-27

IMG_6598by: Nick Kosko04/20/26nickkosko59

Duke big man Pat Ngongba is set to return to the basketball program next season, he announced. Ngongba received NBA Draft buzz, but elected to return to school.

Ngongba has played two seasons with Blue Devils and broke out this past season. In 32 games, he averaged 10.2 points per game. 5.8 rebounds per game, two assists per game and shot 60.6% from the floor.

As a member of the Class of 2024, Ngongba was a four-star recruit out of Warrenton (Va.) Paul VI Catholic, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking. He was the No. 2 overall prospect in the state, the No. 5 center in the class and the No. 26 overall prospect in the class.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves. Check it out!

Ngongba is back and Duke just keeps adding to the big men on the roster for next year. They also landed Belmont transfer Drew Scharnowski.

Scharnowski appeared in 30 games for Belmont in 2025-26, including 24 starts. He averaged 10.7 points along with a team-high 6.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists across 21.8 minutes per game. He also led the Bruins with 1.3 blocks per game as they won the Missouri Valley regular-season title.

It was a leap forward for Scharnowski after contributing off the bench in 2024-25. He averaged 5.5 points and 3.0 rebounds across 25 games, along with two starts. He will have two years of eligibility remaining as he heads to Duke.