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
Yanic Konan Niederhauser’s stock continues rising as the Swiss big man was invited to the 2025 NBA Draft Combine in Chicago.
Niederhauser, Penn State basketball’s starting center during the 2024-25 season, was initially invited to the NBA G League Elite Camp from May 9-11, where select players would be invited to compete in the combine later that week. In the two games he played, the 7-footer averaged 15.5 points and six rebounds per game, including going a perfect 6-for-6 from the field in the second game. In the first game, he led his team with 17 points and two blocks.
He is one of five players who competed in the G League Elite camp and will now compete in the NBA Draft Combine, which takes place from May 11-18 at Wintrust Arena and the Marriott Marquis.
Niederhauser is testing the waters as an early entry candidate, but he had a lot of positive momentum this offseason before his camp performance. That momentum continued as he used his length and mobility to impose his will on both ends of the floor, from a healthy diet of dunks to deflecting passes and shots with his large wingspan.
Now he’ll have his chance to prove himself even further against other bigs with serious draft consideration, from Auburn’s Johni Broome to Duke’s Khaman Maluach to Maryland’s Derik Queen.
While this is great news for Niederhauser, the rising stock makes it more likely that the Swiss big man will stay in the draft past the May 28 deadline for early entry candidates, meaning that head coach Mike Rhoades and Penn State will be looking to fill that hole. It’s partially been addressed with the signings of Croatian center Ivan Juric and in-state prospect Justin Houser, but having Niederhauser return would significantly raise the ceiling for next season.
The 2025 NBA Draft Combine will be broadcast on NBATV and ESPN2 and streamed on ESPN+.