Duke men's basketball head coach Jon Scheyer says Patrick Ngongba II is unlikely to play against Siena in Round of 64 on Thursday
Duke will likely be without sophomore center Patrick Ngongba II for Thursday’s Round of 64 matchup against Siena. “I think it’s very unlikely that he plays tomorrow,” Duke head coach Jon Scheyer told reporters on Wednesday. “We’re going to keep taking it day by day.
And again, he’s itching to play, but we’re not quite there for tomorrow. ” Ngongba has been out since March 2 with lingering foot soreness and was seen on a knee rover with a boot on his right foot. Ngongba averaged 10.
7 points, 6 rebounds, 1. 9 assists and 1. 1 blocks in his first season as Duke’s starting center.
Last year, the 20-year-old averaged 3. 9 points and 2. 7 rebounds before his minutes increased toward the end of the season, when Maliq Brown was dealing with a dislocated shoulder.
The roles will be reversed this year. If Ngongba is unable to play, Brown will likely see most of the minutes at center. He has started in Ngongba’s absence and has averaged 4.