Pat Ngongba on his visits, recruitment and timetable
When you scan the 2024 class on a national level, no prospect has gained more momentum since the spring than 2024 Paul VI and Team Takeover big man Pat Ngongba. After gaining steam in the spring, Ngongba proved his worth throughout the summer and was the anchor for Team Takeover’s run to the Peach Jam title. The 6-foot-11 center averaged nine points and 5.4 rebounds throughout the week of Peach Jam and as a result, his recruitment received quite the uptick.
With official visited already completed to UConn and Providence over the summer, Ngongba set four officials to take this fall. He recently took his official visit to Michigan over the weekend and is set to visit Kentucky on Sept. 29 before rounding out the month of October at Duke (Oct. 20) and Kansas State (Oct. 27).
I spoke with Ngongba about his visit and the relationships with the schools he has yet to visit this fall.
Michigan: “It was a good visit. I liked Michigan a lot. It was different from what I expected. I went to the football game and it was a very great atmosphere. All of the fans were really into it. My relationship with head coach Juwan Howard is definitely growing. The stuff that he was showing me with how they’d handle my development and all that, I liked it a lot. They showed me thing like how they used Hunter Dickinson and how they’d use me in a similar way.”
Kentucky: “Coach Calipari was in today and we talked. Our relationship is good. It’s definitely building and we are starting to talk a little more consistently. I’m looking forward to my visit there.”
Duke: “Duke has been recruiting me a lot heavier especially since Flory [Bidunga] committed to Kansas. The coaches have just been telling me how they’d use me and plan to play through me. Stuff like that.”
Kansas State: The staff has been showing me a lot of stuff from when Coach Tang was at Baylor and how they’d use a player like me in their system. We went through their offense and how they like to play, but I think we’ll go into more detail once I go down for my visit next month.”
When does Ngongba plan to decide?
“I’m definitely going to decide before my season starts. I want to try and do it before the first signing period.”
There’s little doubt that Ngongba will fit into any program that he chooses. He has proven to impact the gave with or without the ball, but the consistency and efficiency in which he scored throughout the spring/summer solidified any worries of him being a foundational piece at the next level.
This will be a tough recruitment to call early. Kansas State has been the school that has invested the most time and effort to this point, but as Ngongba said above, Duke is starting to put the press on him as they attempt to build a stacked 2024 recruiting class. Kentucky speaks for itself and Michigan has a proven pipeline with DMV prospects. Don’t forget about the defending champion UConn Huskies when you couple them with Ngongba’s teammate, Isaiah Abraham Isaiah Abraham 6'7" | SG Paul VI | 2024 State #62 Nation VA , headed there next fall. We’ve also seen that as long as there is time on the clock, you can’t underestimate Providence head coach Kim English.
One thing is for sure and that is whatever program that gets Ngongba is getting a blue-chip prospect who has a chance to play this game for a long, long time.