We had hoped to see Patrick Ngongba in the exhibition game against Lincoln, but realistically, we didn’t expect to. He’s had foot problems since last year and recently he was in a walking boot.
Realistically though we didn’t really expect him to take the court and of course he didn’t. So how he’s doing?
Here’s what Jon Scheyer said after the win over Lincoln: “He’s had foot injuries in his high school career and we’re still getting him back to 100% health. It’s not about anything that he’s done. It’s just about getting him to his full 100% productivity on the court, where he can move completely pain free, and also where he can get back to being the level of player he can be. He’s gonna be a terrific player for us.”
Since we haven’t been able to see him yet, we refer you to what Adam Finkelstein said last year when he was a senior at Paul VI: “Ngongba has a tremendous combination of size, length, and offensive skill. He stands just shy of 7-feet with ultra-broad shoulders and a big frame that gives him a significant presence on both ends of the floor. He provides a true low-post scorer, but is also an inside-out threat with developing shooting range out to the arc.
“He’s a good passer who is starting to punish double-teams, facilitate from different spots on the floor, and even deliver balls with both hands. He has versatility playing out of ball-screen actions and can also be effective operating in dribble-hand-offs.”
It’s an interesting skill set. We hope we get to see him soon but it may take him a while to catch up. He could have a major impact, certainly on post depth but possibly more.
