Patrick Ngongba injury update: Duke forward seen in boot to start 2nd half vs. North Carolina

Duke big man Patrick Ngongba was seen in a boot to start the second half against North Carolina. His status was in question for the rivalry matchup, and he did not play in the first half.

Ngongba appeared on the ACC availability report this week as questionable and became a game-time decision Saturday afternoon. During the first half, he sat on the Duke bench, though still wearing his warmup. He went through the early part of warm-ups, according to ESPN’s Kris Budden, but did not participate in the layup lines.

However, after halftime, Ngongba returned to the bench with a boot on his foot. That appears to be a strong indication that he will not go in Saturday’s Tobacco Road rivalry affair.

“Ngongba’s been dealing with a right foot injury,” Budden reported during the first quarter. “He was on the availability report as a game-time decision. I’ve been told they won’t rule him out, necessarily. He was in early pregame warm-ups, but he not in the layup line.”

Ngongba is an important part of Duke’s defense this season, leading the team with 1.1 blocks per game. He also ranks third on the roster with 10.7 points to go with 6.0 rebounds while shooting 60.2% from the field.

Patrick Ngongba isn’t the only notable injury for Duke against UNC. Caleb Foster left late in the first half with a leg injury, and the Blue Devils announced he would not return out of halftime. Foster was also wearing a boot on the bench.

At the time of his departure, Foster had five points and two assists as Duke looked to get revenge on North Carolina after the loss earlier this season. He entered Saturday’s game averaging 8.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists this year while shooting 40.4% from three-point territory – tied with Cameron Boozer for the best on the team.

As the injuries began to mount, Jon Scheyer called on others to step up in the second half after North Carolina kept things close through the final minutes into halftime. He noted how important both Ngongba and Foster are, which is why he said the rest of the team needs to pick them up.

“We’ve got to step up for them,” Scheyer told Budden on his way to the locker room. “Obviously, those are two key guys for us. Part of our strength is our depth. But we’ve got to have their backs and get reorganized. Kind of a crazy last 6-7 minutes with C-Fost going down there.”