Gonzaga Coach Makes Bold Claim After NBA Draft Combine

Nembhard was not the only one who felt he deserved an initial invite to the combine, with Zags assistant and former NBA player Zach Norvell saying he was 'a little surprised' when he heard the Canadian star was not included initially.

“To me, he’s the best point guard here," Norvell continued. "He sees the floor so well. Plays in space and flow so easily. He’s what the NBA is looking for, too. He’s a dream to play with for a lot of these guys that just want to show their talent in a short amount of time.”

Nembhard more than proved himself during the weeklong event, knocking down 73% of his shots during drills and scoring 13 points with eight assists and one turnover in his first scrimmage game.

“I think he reaffirmed a lot of what he had already shown during his time in the NCAA, especially in his last two years,” said Canada's FIBA U19 head coach Ramon Diaz. "Ryan has the ability to make his teammates better as a true point guard, but at the same time, in key moments when the team needed him, he showed his scoring ability and competitive instinct to win games with his talent.”

Nembhard will work out for about 15 different NBA teams, hoping to do enough to get selected in the second round on Thursday, June 26. 

He would not only join his older brother Andrew, who was a second round pick by the Pacers in 2022, he'd also extend Gonzaga's streak of having at least one player selected to five straight drafts dating back to 2021.