Duke center Patrick Ngongba returning for next season

Dukestarting centerPatrick Ngongba IIis returning to the Blue Devils next season, he announcedMonday.

Ngongba was projected as a borderline first-round pick in June's NBA draft but will opt to head back to college instead.

A 6-foot-11 sophomore, Ngongba earned honorable mention All-ACC honors last season after averaging 10.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists. He was one of the most improved players in the conference and was an anchor for one of the country's elite defensive units.

Ngongba ranked in the top 15 in the league in offensive rating, offensive rebound and defensive rebound rate, block percentage and fouls drawn per 40 minutes, according to KenPom.

He was at his best down the stretch of the regular season, scoring in double figures in five straight games before suffering a foot injury that kept him out of the ACC tournament and the first round of the NCAA tournament. He wasn't fully healthy upon returning, coming off the bench in each of Duke's final three tournament games.

With Ngongba back, Jon Scheyer is now expected to return at least three key pieces from a team that earned the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. Freshman guard Cayden Boozer announced his return last week, while Caleb Foster also appears trending toward a return. There's optimism that freshman Dame Sarr will also come back to Durham instead of entering the NBA draft.

Duke welcomes the nation's No. 1 recruiting class, a group headlined by three top-25 recruits: Cameron Williams, Deron Rippey Jr. and Bryson Howard. On Sunday, the Blue Devils landed a commitment from Belmont transfer Drew Scharnowski, who averaged 10.7 points last season.br/]