Big Duke Basketball Recruiting Opportunity at USA Training Camp

Duke basketball signee Patrick Ngongba II is set to compete for a spot on the USA U18 roster.

Duke basketball signee Patrick Ngongba II / Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports

The Duke basketball program has long been linked with USA Basketball, namely during the years that former Blue Devil head coach Mike Krzyzewski also manned the head position for the national team. Countless other Blue Devils have represented the country in different competitions, and a future Blue Devil is hoping to join that list.

On Wednesday, USA Basketball announced that composite five-star prospect Patrick Ngongba II is among the 30 participants who received an invitation to compete for a chance to make the USA Basketball Men's U18 National Team, set to play in the 2024 FIBA U18 AmeriCup in Buenos Aires this June.

Ngongba will be just one of five players representing the nation's 2024 recruiting class, along with 22 prospects from the 2025 class and three 2026 talents. 

Among the other invitees are a collection of 2025 Duke basketball recruiting targets, including Nate Ament, Caleb Wilson, and Meleek Thomas, along with potential 2025 target Hudson Greer.

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The Blue Devils' representation isn't limited to the player pool, however, as Duke head coach Jon Scheyer is set to participate in training camp as one of the on-court coaches during the opening phase. It'll be Scheyer’s coaching debut with USA Basketball, perhaps helping with his recruiting efforts.

If Ngongba makes the roster, he won’t be the only incoming Blue Devil big man slated to represent their country over the summer. Five-star international prospect Khaman Maluach is set to compete in the Paris 2024 Olympics with South Sudan.

Ngongba and Maluach are just two pieces of the six-player recruiting haul for Scheyer and the Blue Devils. It ranks No. 1 overall in the country, according to 247Sports. The others in the class are five-stars Cooper Flagg, Isaiah Evans, and Kon Knueppel, as well as four-star Darren Harris.

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Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country on SI for more Duke basketball news.