Duke Basketball: Blue Devils Enter Fray for Promising Center
In this story:
Paul VI Catholic (Va.) has become a pipeline to the Duke basketball program in recent years. Jeremy Roach in 2020. Trevor Keels in 2021. And Darren Harris is a 2024 commit.
Then on Tuesday afternoon, Paul VI Catholic big man Patrick Ngongba II, who has skyrocketed almost 80 spots since January to No. 65 on the 247Sports 2024 Composite, announced an offer from the Blue Devils.
RELATED: List of Every Recruit Holding a Duke Offer
The 6-foot-10, 235-pound four-star played alongside Harris last season and is his Team Takeover teammate in Nike EYBL action. This past weekend at Nike EYBL Session 4 in Memphis, Patrick Ngongba II averaged 18.8 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks while shooting 63.0 percent from the field and 81.2 percent from the foul line.
He currently holds almost two dozen offers, with Iowa, Kansas State, Providence, UConn, and Virginia among his most active suitors.
So what is Ngongba looking for in a college destination?
"I want to go to a school that has a good culture as we do here at PVI, a winning culture," he recently told On3. "I'll want to play for a coach who will develop me and help me get ready to play at the next level. I want to look at the systems and styles of play too, make sure the coaches run plays for their big and play through their bigs."
In addition to Harris, a four-star small forward boasting a No. 51 composite ranking, the 2024 Duke basketball recruiting class includes North Meck (N.C.) five-star small forward Isaiah Evans, who ranks No. 17 among high school juniors.
Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country for more Duke basketball recruiting updates.