WATCH: Penn State MBB’s Yanic Konan Niederhauser after Ohio State game
Niederhauser had one of his best games in a Nittany Lion uniform, leading all scorers with 21 points
On Wednesday night, Yanic Konan Niederhauser was the latest Penn State basketball player to be drafted into the NBA.
The Los Angeles Clippers made Niederhauser the 30th overall pick in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
He is the first player in program history to be taken in the first round of the NBA Draft.
Niederhauser is also the first Penn State basketball player drafted since Jalen Pickett (32nd overall) and Seth Lundy (46th overall) were selected in the 2023 draft. He’s also the first center drafted since Calvin Booth, the former Denver Nuggets GM, was drafted 35th overall back in 1999.
The Swiss 7-footer was a solid interior presence in his only season for the Nittany Lions, leading the team in rebounds and the Big Ten in blocked shots per game. His athleticism and willingness to run the floor also made him a tough guard, in addition to the flashes of perimeter skill as a ball handler and shooter.
While he has some skill development to do to maximize his potential, along with improving his feel, teams see value in his size and service as an energy big with room to grow.
Here’s was Konan Niederhauser brings to the Clippers after a year in Happy Valley.
What Yanic Konan Niederhauser brings to the Los Angeles Clippers in 2025 NBA Draft
Konan Niederhauser has good positional size (6 foot, 11.25 inches without shoes and a 7-3 wingspan) and a great rim-running threat who can play above the rim. Those traits make him attractive as an immediate contributor in a backup center role. His defensive instincts can provide any team an interior presence.
Teams also like his potential to be more of an on-ball threat, from ball handling to stretching the floor.
Yanic Konan Niederhauser highlights, strengths, weaknesses with Penn State basketball
Penn State 7 Foot Big Yanic Konan Niederhauser had a very strong performance in the Draft Combine
Yanic was one of the biggest draft risers where he showcased his Athleticism, Skill and Rim Protection at his height in a big way.
Yanic was a standout performer in the G League… pic.twitter.com/7LEVxCUhhm
— KJ (@KJ__Hoops) May 15, 2025
Konan Niederhauser provides a ton of rim pressure and plays with good energy. He protected the rim at a high level and his best basketball should be ahead of him.
While his floor is high, he is still a project player. His offensive game has plenty of room for improvement, and he doesn’t have the cleanest footwork. If his goal is to be a starting center or better in the NBA, he’ll need to reach his ceiling.
Yanic Konan Niederhauser stats with Penn State basketball
In his one year at Penn State, Konan Niederhauser averaged 12.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks on 61% shooting from the field in 29 starts. He only shot 11 3-pointers (made one), and averaged less than an assist per game (22 in 29 games).
Yanic Konan Niderhauser’s NBA comparison
A high-level outcome for Niederhauser would be Dereck Lively II of the Dallas Maverick — a low-usage, high-energy big man who is a lob threat with the potential to stretch the floor. Other comps include Wendell Carter Jr. of the Magic and a less-physical version of Mitchell Robinson of the Knicks.