Gonzaga's Ryan Nembhard is a 'no doubt' NBA Draft selection

Bulldogs guard is slated as a late second round pick on most mock drafts

Gonzaga senior guard Ryan Nembhard. | Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

Gonzaga guard Ryan Nembhard can make the case that he once starred on the greatest high school prep basketball team to ever be assembled.

Several other prospects in the 2025 NBA Draft class can make the same argument, including the sure-fire No. 1 pick and famed Duke product, Cooper Flagg.

Flagg's 2023-24 Montverde Academy squad — featuring projected lottery picks Derik Queen, Asa Newell and Liam McNeely — went 33-0 and won the national championship while beating its opponents by an average margin of 29.8 points. Thirty wins were by double-figures, including a 16-point margin over Virginia-based powerhouse St. Paul VI Catholic High in the national title game.

Nembhard's 2019-20 Montverde Academy squad wasn't short on talent either, with Cade Cunningham (No. 1 overall pick in 2021) and Scottie Barnes (No. 4 overall) headlining a loaded roster that had five future first-rounders on it, plus another second-rounder in Caleb Houstan (No. 32 overall in the second round of the 2022 draft). That version of Montverde also didn't lose a game (25-0).

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Time will soon tell if the 2024 Montverde class winds up producing just as much high-end pro talent. As for Nembhard, he might have to wait for day two of the draft to roll around before he hears his name called.

"We also have Ryan Nembhard," former Montverde coach Kevin Boyle said on the Ryen Russillo Podcast regarding Montverde's projected NBA talent. "Who'll be a second round pick, I think."

"No doubt," Russillo responded. "Projected to be a second rounder and just a really good combine week as well."

Nembhard's been mocked as a second-round pick throughout the pre-draft cycle, and it appears most outlets and draft analysts are sticking with their predictions in the final buildup toward the 2025 draft.

Nembhard's coming off leading the NCAA in assists as a senior with the Zags this past season, putting up 9.8 per game while breaking Gonzaga and the West Coast Conference's respective single-season records for total assists. His 344 assists in 2024-25 led the country and were the fifth-most in a single season in NCAA history.

Nembhard's shown he can adjust on the fly too, as evidenced by his standout performances at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, where he dished out 14 total assists in two scrimmages to teammates he previously hadn't played alongside.

Here's a look at where Nembhard checks in on a few big boards and mock drafts ahead of Wednesday's first round (5 p.m. PST, ESPN).

Yahoo! Sports, Kevin O'Connor

Draft pick projection (change): No. 42

Team: Sacramento Kings

What O'Connor said: "Nembhard is an excellent floor general who excels in pick-and-roll situations and made great progress as a scorer during his senior year. But with his small stature, he has natural limitations that put a cap on his upside."

CBS Sports, Kyle Boone

Draft pick projection: No. 50

Team: New York Knicks

What Boone said: "Despite measuring as the second-shortest player at the NBA Combine, Nembhard has a chance to stick in the league because of his selfless play style and pass-first mentality at point guard. He led college basketball in assists last season. His brother, Andrew, established himself as an indispensable player for the runner-up Pacers."

NBC Sports

Draft pick projection: No. 52

Team: Phoenix Suns (via Denver Nuggets)

ESPN, Jonathan Givony & Jeremy Woo

Draft pick projection: No. 59

Team: Phoenix Suns (pick acquired in Kevin Durant trade)

NBADraft.net

Draft pick projection: No. 53

Team: Utah Jazz