Thoughts on Patrick Ngongba and Tyran Stokes in the Duke-Kansas Exhibition Game

November 10th, 2026

By Alan Lu

This time around, I decided to watch an October 25th exhibition game that took place between Duke and Kansas, with thanks to YouTube via ESPN and SportsCenter Next. This game featured a lot of prospects, including two elite prospects in Kansas’ Tyran Stokes and Duke’s Patrick Ngongba II.  Ngongba had a tremendous game, as he had 28 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks in Duke’s 90-84 win, and Tyran Stokes nearly had a triple-double, as he had 27 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists.  Here are my thoughts on how they and other various prospects fared on this day.

Patrick Ngongba II put forth a terrific performance to help get Duke the win.  He especially excelled on offense as a scorer and passer, and he also rebounded the ball very well. He was excellent as he was absolutely dominant in this game, and he could arguably be a top 5 pick in 2027.

He did a very good job of scoring out of the post. Ngongba has great strength to back his man down and has good hands to catch passes, as he would often get deep position and score on jump hooks.  He also excelled as a scorer on the move, as he would score on timely finishes at the rim, and he also threw down a thunderous dunk off of a roll to the rim.

Plus, he also showed off solid playmaking skills. Ngongba made deft passes as he can find teammates on the move.  He also rebounded the ball well.  He also was active defensively and blocked a couple of shots, but sometimes he would sag too far off of shooters, which would lead him to allow three-point baskets.

In general, Ngongba helped his draft stock immensely, and he could end up being a surefire lottery pick in the 2027 draft. He has really improved his scoring and rebounding skills, and he could end up being a very good starter in the NBA.

Tyran Stokes also played very well in his team’s tough loss to Duke.  He is a very athletic forward that showed off a strong set of all-around skills, as he’s an early season contender to be the top pick in the 2027 draft.

Stokes is a talented scorer that can make threes smoothly off the catch and dribble.  He also excels at scoring on drives in transition, where he can score on floaters, layups, and also throw down high-flying dunks.

He also passed the ball very well, as he excels as the lead ball handler, and kick make an array of passes to set up scores for his teammates.  He also rebounded the ball well.  Plus, he played decent defense in this game. Stokes was able to intercept a pass to get a steal to turn that into a fastbreak dunk late in the game. He also contested a shot off the dribble to force a miss. However, sometimes he can lose track of his man that can lead his man to score on backdoor cuts, and other times, he’ll take gambles and miss that will lead him to be out of position.

In summary, Stokes had a strong showing in this game, and he looks to be a good bet to be a top 5 pick in the 2027 draft. He’s a very talented prospect, and he is a high-upside prospect that has star potential for the NBA.

John Blackwell also played well, as he helped Duke get the win in this game.  He showed off his sharpshooting and scoring prowess, and he also was able to get some rebounds as well as a pair of steals, although he also was turnover prone in this game.

Blackwell did a great job of shooting the basketball.  He is an excellent three-point shooter, especially off the catch, and he also ran off the ball to make some threes to showcase his movement shooting skills.  He also managed to score on a strong baseline drive.

He is an unselfish player that will move the ball to help his teammates get in position to score, but sometimes he would throw hasty passes that would lead to turnovers.  Overall, Blackwell had a very solid performance, and his sterling shooting and scoring skills combined with having above average athletic gifts and a good feel for the game could enable him to be an intriguing second round option for NBA teams in the 2027 draft.

Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje is a 7-2 Duke freshman center that didn’t have a great game from a box score standpoint, but he showed off some really promising skills, as he is an offensively gifted big man that can shoot and move the basketball.

As he is the son of former NBA center Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje, Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje showed a knack for making threes, as he was able to make an open long-range jumper off of a pick-and-pop play.  He also has good court vision, and he would find cutters to notch assists.

He also rebounded the ball very well and was able to get a pair of steals.  He didn’t make any of his two-point field goals, however.  Still, Boumtje-Boumtje is a very tall, mobile center that showed a high basketball IQ, especially for a player his age, and he looks like he will be a surefire lottery pick in the 2028 draft.

Sebastian Wilkins quietly had a strong game for Duke.  He did a great job of scoring on backdoor cuts, and he would score on tough, contorting layups and emphatic dunks.  He is an athletic, high energy player that also will move the ball, and he also helped out on the boards considerably in this game. 

Even though he may not be related to Dominique Wilkins, he definitely played like he is.  All in all, Sebastian Wilkins is an intriguing prospect, and if he can add a reliable outside shot to his game, he could end up being a definite solid role player in the NBA.

Keanu Dawes also played well for Kansas in this game.  He is an athletic forward that excelled at making open, spot-up threes as well as on motion plays. He also ran the floor and caught a lob to score on an alley-oop dunk on the break while getting fouled.  Dawes is an intriguing prospect that could project well to be a 3 and D role player in the NBA.

Cayden Boozer showed a knack for throwing crisp passes to get assists, and he is a fleet-footed guard that excelled as a ball mover for Duke. He also managed to score on a turnaround jumper off of a quick backdoor cut. He’s shown promising as a sophomore point guard, and he could project to be a solid table setting point guard at the NBA level.

Unfortunately, 6-11 Duke freshman Cameron Williams didn’t play much at all, but he was able to get the ball to an open shooter to notch an assist. Based on the high school All-Star games, he’s an incredibly talented and gifted prospect. I’m a big believer in his talent, but there’s also a pretty good chance he may not play much this year. Because of that, he’ll probably need to spend another year in school, so he’s probably a first round prospect for the 2028 draft rather than for 2027.

All in all, those are my thoughts on how Ngongba, Stokes, and other various prospects fared In this game. Thanks for reading.