Duke Star Sparks Injury Concerns After Being Spotted in Walking Boot originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Duke Blue Devils are coming off a tremendous 35-win season that included a Final Four appearance in the NCAA Tournament, as well as both the ACC regular season and conference tournament titles.
However, after falling to the Houston Cougars in the Final Four, Duke is now shifting its focus to the 2025–26 season—and facing significant roster turnover. Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, Khaman Maluach, Tyrese Proctor, and Sion James are all headed for the NBA draft, leaving the Blue Devils without five key rotation players.
Despite the departures, Duke is reloading with another top-tier freshman class, headlined by the highly touted Boozer twins, Cam and Cayden. They’ll also return some major contributors in Isaiah Evans, Caleb Foster, Maliq Brown, and sophomore center Patrick Ngongba II, who many believe is poised for a breakout season.
That said, concern swept through the Duke fanbase this weekend after photos from a summer workout surfaced showing Ngongba on the sideline in a walking boot.
Check it out:
Nooooo!! Patrick NGongba spotted wearing a boot at Duke Basketball summer workouts. Please let Big Pat be healthy this season! pic.twitter.com/tD2awjYaC0
— Jason Evans (@JasonDukeEvans) June 21, 2025
Ngongba dealt with a notable foot injury during his freshman season—raising concern now that he’s been spotted in a walking boot. While it’s still very early in the offseason and there’s plenty of time before Duke’s season opener against the Texas Longhorns, the sighting has sparked some worry.
The 6-foot-11 big man averaged 10.6 minutes per game last season for the Blue Devils, contributing 3.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.5 blocks, and 0.4 steals while shooting an efficient 71.9% from the field. If he can stay healthy and see an increased role in 2025, he has the potential to be a highly productive starting center for Duke.
Fans reacted to the photos:
“Every. Single.Year. Man. What kinda drills we doing at Duke tho? The Full court sprint twist & hurdle/avoid banana peels drill? Let’s do some simple defensive slides,” a fan said.
Someone else added, “I’m sure we’ll get a full, comprehensive update from the coaching staff immediately. Not.”
Another fan posted, “Ridiculous, I hope it’s precautionary.”
“One of two players Duke cannot afford to miss time this year. Hopefully it’s minor,” one more fan commented.
Related: Kon Knueppel Makes Cooper Flagg Admission Before NBA Draft
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 22, 2025, where it first appeared.
