By Nick Pantages
@nick_pantages22
When Jeremy Roach suited up for Duke against Coppin State on Nov. 28, 2020, it was the start of something special at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Roach was a standout high school player at Paul VI in Halifax, Va. He averaged 19.1 points-per-game his senior year of high school after recovering from a torn ACL, guiding the Eagles to the VISAA D-I State Championship. Roach also earned Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year and McDonald’s All-American honors in 2020.
Trevor Keels followed Roach a year later. The combo-guard was a force to be reckoned with in his senior campaign, posting 28.7 points, 9.1 rebounds, 7.2 assists and 3.8 steals a game, recording six triple-doubles. He went on to be a one-and-done for the Blue Devils, helping them reach the Final Four in Coach Mike Krzyzewski’s final season at Duke.
Following in the footsteps are a pair of teammates, Darren Harris and Patrick Ngongba. Harris committed very early in the recruiting process, in Oct. of 2022, with Ngongba pledging to join him with the Blue Devils in Nov. 2023. For Harris, committing to Duke was his dream school, as he grew up just about a four hour drive from the campus.
“When they were going after me hard, pushing me to commit early, it was kinda hard to turn down,” Harris said. “The time was right, and I knew where I wanted to go and where I wanted to be.”
Ngongba’s journey was not very different from Harris’. Both grew up in close proximity in northern Va., and the pair have known of each other for a long time. As the two best players in their area, they butted heads a lot, but they were able to unite and play together for once for the Eagles.
They have had a lot of success as a tandem, including winning a Virginia state championship in 2022.
During Ngongba’s recruiting process, Duke stood out among other schools, partially due to Harris’ own personal recruitment of Ngongba.
“I was doing a little bit of texting and DMing, especially with Pat who I saw every day, that made it pretty easy,” Harris said.
The Blue Devils will be getting two stellar players in Harris and Ngongba as well.
Harris’ frame projects well to the next level, at 6-foot-5 he can play either wing position, but the real star with Harris is the shooting. Billed as one of the top shooters in the class of 2024, Harris can shoot it from mid-range and from three, possessing the ability to hit off the dribble shots.
“I model my game after a lot of people, a lot of on-ball shooters,” Harris said.
This was evident today, as Harris scored 16 points, including hitting four 3-pointers.
Ngongba was unavailable for today’s contest due to a foot injury, but he says that he is recovering well.
He projects to the next level as an athletic big man who can rebound and run the floor, but also battle and bang down low. His ability to step out and hit the mid-range and 3-point shots, as well as touch in the post, made him an ideal target for Duke head coach Jon Scheyer.
The talented pair look to become impact players for the Blue Devils next fall, as they make up the Blue Devils sixth No. 1 ranked class in the last 11 years, which was when Scheyer joined the staff. They are members of a class that includes No. 1 prospect Cooper Flagg, and 5-stars Isaiah Evans and Kon Knueppel.
Photo by River Mitchell/The Student