CHICAGO — Just three days after earning a spot at the NBA Draft Combine, Ryan Nembhard continued to impress scouts and fans alike in his first scrimmage in Chicago.
The Gonzaga graduate tallied 13 points and eight assists in 24 minutes of playing time, while adding three steals and just one turnover. Nembhard also had a plus-12 plus/minus rating in a game his team lost by three points.
Nembhard makes his first shot from the field and it looks pretty familiar to #Gonzaga fans… pic.twitter.com/aQZHIG9DGj
— Theo Lawson (@TheoLawson_SR) May 14, 2025
Nembhard, the nation’s leader in assists last year with 344, good for fifth all-time in Division I basketball, showed his ability to share the ball with eight assists. The broadcast crew even took notice, with Sean Farnham comparing Nembhard’s scrimmage to a typical night for Gonzaga basketball.
The Nembhard-Raynaud connection has been lethal early on. Here’s the #Gonzaga PG making a decision mid-air, feeding Raynaud for another short jumper. pic.twitter.com/ywgSgtSfa1
— Theo Lawson (@TheoLawson_SR) May 14, 2025
“By the way, this looks a lot like a Gonzaga basketball game right now, Nembhard’s got five assists already in the first half,” Farnham said.
Ryan’s performance at the scrimmage reminded fans of his brother Andrew’s performances in the combine scrimmages, which impressed scouts and led to him being selected 31st overall by the Indiana Pacers. Andrew is now in his third season and recently scored 18 points in a Game 5 win over the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Ryan is currently projected to go undrafted, although some reports now have Nembhard going late in the second round. Still, some experts believe the playmaking and ability to make those around him better will allow Nembhard to compete for a spot on an NBA or G-League roster.
“The size obviously going to be impactful as far as where he goes, but I think his vision and his ability to open up the game for others is going to be appealing for somebody to take a chance on, probably in the free agent market and say, ‘Hey let’s come in and see what you can do in the Summer League with a bunch of guys that can be in the G-League,’ Then if we need somebody, play your way up on a two-way,” Farnham said.
The NBA Draft begins Wednesday, June 25, at 5 p.m.
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