Duke Could Get Starter Back from Injury After Upset Scare in March Madness 1st Round

Duke men's basketball head coach Jon Scheyer told reporters that he's "hopeful" sophomore center Patrick Ngongba II, who has been out since March 2 with right foot soreness, can return Saturday for the Blue Devils' second round game against TCU. However, some hurdles remain for Ngongba to clear between now and then.

"He needs to practice," Scheyer said, per ESPN's David Hale. "He needs to just be on the floor and move the way that he needs to be successful. He's been ramping up and doing a really good job. We just want to make sure he's feeling right to play at a high level—not just to be out there, but to be him."

Ngongba, who has started 28 of his 29 games, posted 10.7 points on 60.2 percent shooting, 6.0 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game in 22.4 minutes per action on average.

Duke has been playing shorthanded without Ngongba and starting guard Caleb Foster, who suffered a broken right foot against UNC on March 11 and is out indefinitely.

The Blue Devils did win the ACC tournament without both players, although they survived a pair of tough contests against Florida State in the quarterfinals (80-79) and Virginia in the finals (74-70).

Duke drew the NCAA tournament's No. 1 overall seed and played No. 16 seed Siena in the first round and nearly went home early. Siena led by 13 early in the second half before Duke rallied and held off the Saints, 67-61.

The Blue Devils have been playing with a seven-man rotation, and Cameron Boozer has shifted to center in Ngongba's absence. His return would be a welcome sight for the Blue Devils, no matter how many minutes he ends up playing after missing a few weeks due to injury.

Tipoff on Saturday is set for 5:15 p.m. ET in Greenville, South, Carolina.