This article looks at three big men who might make big leaps soon: Flory Bidunga from Kansas, Joseph Tugler of Houston and Duke’s Patrick Ngongba.

We’re not nearly as interested in Bidunga and Tugler, of course, though both of them are immensely talented prospects. Both have some rough edges to sand down before they can emerge as truly elite players.

We’re much more interested in the Duke guy of course, and we think that Ngongba has a chance to emerge as a really good young big man.

Last year, we thought that he might redshirt, given his recovery from his high school injury and also because Khaman Maluach and Maliq Brown took most of the minutes.

But when Maliq Brown missed four games with a knee injury, then hurt his shoulder against Virginia in February, Ngongba got his chance. And he showed a game we didn’t dream that he had.

He’s not a 7-1 or 7-2 big man like Dereck Lively or Maluach, and he’s not wildly gifted like Bidunga or Tugler, but he’s wicked smart. There were a few passes he made later in the year that we had to rewind and watch again. His father, also named Patrick, was a pretty savvy big man in his day and his mom coaches at George Washington.

Ngongba ended up getting about 10 minutes a game last season and scoring 3.9 ppg and 2.7 boards. Those aren’t overwhelming stats, but he showed some beautiful flashes. He probably doesn’t have the physical talent that Bidunga and Tugler have, but physical skill, while important, isn’t the most important thing. Every year, talented young players reach their limits and find they don’t have the superior skills or understanding of the game than less heralded p

layers have.