“Huge boost” as Five-Star Duke basketball incoming freshman makes roster cut for Team USA

Before coming to Durham to join the team, a prospective Blue Devil will be travelling abroad.

With incoming freshman Pat Ngongba II making the Team USA U18 National Team, the Duke basketball programme will now have two players participating abroad before joining the group in Durham this summer.

Ngongba was asked to fight for a roster position along with five other 2024 prospects, and he took part in training camp over the weekend. Recruits from the classes of 2025 and 2026 made up the remaining invitees.

Prior to the 12-player group being revealed on Tuesday, the initial roster of 28 players for the USA Basketball training camp was reduced to 18 on Saturday.

The team also included 2025 prospect Nate Ament, who has an offer from Duke.

Pat Ngongba of Paul VI (Virginia) had a difficult senior season because he missed most of it due to a foot injury. He came back for the Chipotle Nationals, where he faced more challenges in every match and lost in the National Championship to Cooper Flagg of his future team and Montverde Academy (Fla.).

Ngongba still has a 5-star rating despite being placed No. 25 in the Class of 2024 by the 247Sports Composite Rankings due to the injury.

As one of four coaches that helped with on-court work at the training camp, the future Blue Devil’s head coach, Jon Scheyer, was present. Scheyer is not going to be on the coaching staff that goes abroad for the FIBA U18 Men’s AmeriCup in 2024.

Starting on June 3, Buenos Aires will host the event.

Khaman Maulach, a freshman centre from Duke, will represent Team South Sudan in the 2024 Summer Olympics and compete internationally during the summer. It is anticipated that he will join the Blue Devils following the games.

For summer exercises, Ngongba will be on campus immediately after the AmeriCup ends.