The No. 1-ranked Duke Blue Devils boast what is likely the most elite defensive unit in all of college basketball, with suffocating length at every position. Duke has won its last seven games by an average margin of 23.4 points, and hasn’t allowed 65 or more points to any of those opponents.

Head coach Jon Scheyer and his staff build their teams revolved around positional length, versatility, and switchability. It’s no coincidence that the Blue Devils are the second-tallest team in college basketball and also ranked No. 1 in adjusted defensive efficiency at KenPom.

Duke boasts elite positional defenders on the floor at all times with guys such as Cameron Boozer, Maliq Brown, Caleb Foster, and Dame Sarr. However, one player doesn’t get enough praise for how important he is to the Blue Devils’ defensive scheme.

That player is sophomore center Patrick Ngongba, who might be the biggest breakout player on the entire team. His box score stats will rarely jump out at fans, but he has been a critical piece to Duke’s success defensively as the only true center on the entire roster.

As a rookie, Ngongba averaged 3.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 0.8 assists a game in 10.6 minutes of action. This season, those averages have jumped to 10.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.9 assists a night in 22.4 minutes.

Patrick Ngonba Is One of Duke’s Most Important Defenders

As previously stated, Ngongba’s impact won’t show up in the stat sheet too often. However, the advanced analytics show how crucial he has been to Duke’s success on the defensive end of the floor.

According to EvanMiya.com, Ngongba currently ranks ninth nationally in Defensive Bayesian Performance Rating with a rating of 4.82. This metric essentially measures a player’s defensive value for his team when he is on the floor versus when he is not.

Interestingly, when looking at Box Defensive Bayesian Performance Rating, which measures a player’s defensive value strictly based on his box score statistics, Ngongba is nowhere to be found on the list.