2024 four-star center Patrick Ngongba II visiting Michigan this weekend

2024 four-star center Patrick Ngongba II is going on an official visit to Michigan this weekend, as reported by On3’s Joe Tipton.

Ngongba listed Michigan in his top eight back in mid-July and plays at Paul VI Catholic, the same school where Dug McDaniel played before coming to Michigan. On the 247Sports composite, Ngongba is ranked as the 28th-best recruit in the 2024 class, the fourth-best center and the second-best player from Virginia.

If he decides to come Michigan, Ngongba would be the highest-ranked player in the 2024 class, joining four-star guard Christian Anderson Jr. and three-star guard Durral Brooks.

Tipton reported that Michigan is one of a few official visits for Ngongba in the coming months, as he’s also visiting Kentucky on Sept. 29, Duke on Oct. 20, and Kansas State on Oct. 27.

Ngongba is looking for something in a school that most recruits look for: he wants to go to a place where he can improve as a player.

“For one, I want to go to a school that can develop me,” he said to On3. “I want to get to the next level, so a program and a coach that can get me there. Also, I want to go somewhere that has a family environment. A place I can bond with the players, play video games and hang out.”

If his main goal is to get better as a center, Michigan may be the best place for him. Juwan Howard is far from a perfect coach, but he’s done a great job developing centers, including Hunter Dickinson, Moussa Diabate and now Tarris Reed Jr.

Howard has NBA ties as a player and a coach, and has helped get more than a few players to the NBA, including four players in the last two drafts in Diabate, Caleb Houstan, Jett Howard and Kobe Bufkin.

Because of his NBA aspirations, Michigan would be a great place for Ngongba to attend college. Hopefully, the visit goes well, and McDaniel can do some convincing to get Ngongba to come to Ann Arbor; if he does, Juwan Howard and company can certainly help the big man improve.