2025 NBA Draft: Gonzaga's Ryan Nembhard projected 2nd round pick

2025 NBA Draft: Gonzaga’s Ryan Nembhard projected 2nd round pick

Posted by Admin January 14, 2025 NBA

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As one of the best pure passers in the country, Gonzaga men’s basketball senior guard Ryan Nembhard has continually elevated his NBA Draft stock throughout his final year of college eligibility.

The 6-foot-tall, 180-pound Nembhard might not have appeared on many big boards or mock drafts heading into the 2024-25 season, though surely by now scouts and general managers have taken note of his ability to orchestrate an offense, as well as his activity on the defensive end of the floor and growing knack for drawing fouls in the paint.

Nembhard is the nation’s assist leader with 169 through the first 18 games of his senior season, giving him an average of 9.4 per game — which is also No. 1 in the country. At that rate, he’d smash Gonzaga’s single-season assist record — the one he set last season with 243 assists in 35 games — by the end of the team’s 31-game regular season. Nembhard’s 39.7% assist rate is a career-best and ranks No. 12 in the country, per KenPom.com.

In addition to setting the table, Nembhard adds 11.4 points per game on 43.2% from the field and 37.7% from 3-point range. He’s gotten the foul line, where he’s 46-of-57 (80.7%) from this season, and is ripping down 3.2 rebounds per contest.

Though Nembhard might not match up size-wise against some bigger-bodied NBA guards, his playmaking and court vision could make him a valuable young asset for a team in need of a point guard. According to a mock draft from Bleacher Report, that fit could come via an opportunity with the Orlando Magic.

The latest two-round mock for the 2025 NBA Draft had Nembhard going to the Magic with the No. 57 overall pick, which the team acquired via the Boston Celtics. Orlando could use a boost in backcourt depth to help out former Zag Jalen Suggs, who’s been at his best offensively when he’s playing off the ball as opposed to running the show. The 6-foot-5 guard is putting up a career-high in points (16.7 per game), rebounds (4.1), assists (3.7) and steals (1.5) during his fourth season as a pro.

Of course, it wouldn’t be the first time a Suggs and a Nembhard shared a backcourt before. Suggs and Ryan’s older brother, Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard, were teammates on that memorable 2020-21 squad that went to the National Championship game as an undefeated No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. After coming off the bench in 15 of his first 18 games with the Zags, Andrew emerged as a key contributor in the starting lineup alongside Suggs, Joel Ayayi, Corey Kispert and Drew Timme.

Bleacher Report’s pro comparison for Ryan, as expected, was his older brother. While they certainly share key characteristics that transcend basketball, Ryan has carved his path differently than Andrew once did. Especially given that Ryan is four inches shorter than Andrew, the former has gotten creative with how he attacks the teeth of the defense and applies foul pressure.

Similarly, Ryan was projected to go to the Magic in a separate mock draft from NBADraft.net.