Where Could Penn State's Yanic Konan Niederhauser Land in the NBA Draft?

Penn State's Yanic Konan Niederhauser opened some scouting eyes at the recent NBA Draft Combine, where the 7-foot forward moved into the draft conversation. Niederhauser now has a decision to make: remain draft-eligible or return to Penn State for his senior season. He might be leaning toward the draft.

According to ESPN, Niederhauser now projects as a second-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. In its post-combine mock draft, ESPN has Niederhauser going to the Brooklyn Nets at No. 36 overall. That's a huge move for Penn State's top returning player, who had to earn an invitation to the combine.

Niederhauser did that with a strong performance at the NBA G League Elite Camp, where he averaged 15.5 points and 6 blocks in two games. Niederhauser then attended the NBA Draft Combine, where he was among the "biggest winners," according to Bleacher Report.

In a combine breakdown. Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman wrote that Niederhauser was the "talk of the Elite Camp" before recording a vertical jump of 37 inches. That drew attention.

"Some scouts have admitted to missing or overlooking Yanic Konan Niederhauser at Penn State," Wasserman wrote. "One said he'd never seen a player go from mostly unknown to generating this much interest in a span of a few days this late in the process."

Niederhauser still is an NBA project but plays with agility for his size. He's disruptive defensively, with a career block percentage of 10.2 percent, as Bleacher Report noted, and led both the MAC and Big Ten in consecutive years in blocks per game. Niederhauser played two seasons at Northern Illinois before transferring to Penn State last season.

Clearly, Penn State coach Mike Rhoades wants Niederhauser back for his final season. The forward would be a centerpiece of Penn State's starting lineup after averaging 12.9 points and 6.3 rebounds in his first season with the team. But Rhoades cited Niederhauser's willingness to be coached as a trait that makes him stand out.

"He’s a guy who took great advantage of that throughout [last] summer and preseason," Rhoades said after the regular season. "He had ability; we all saw that from day one. But I just think he picked the right place [in Penn State] that could utilize his skillset, the style of play and being a versatile big guy. He made a great decision."

Niederhauser has until June 15 to withdraw his name from draft eligibility. But he could choose the draft because, as Wasserman wrote for Bleacher Report, "Niederhauser has quickly gone from off the draft radar into the mid-second-round discussion." The 2025 NBA Draft is scheduled for June 25-26.