Photo credit: Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images

Ryan Nembhard 2025 NBA Draft Profile

Originally posted on Last Word On Sports | By Kaleb Kraus | Last updated Jun 13, 2025 8:00 AM ET

It has been a long, winding path for Ryan Nembhard. He was heralded as a possible lottery-type player just a couple years ago. The younger brother of current Indiana Pacer Andrew Nembhard, Ryan will hope to hear his name called in the back half of the 2025 NBA Draft after spending four seasons at the college level. The Nembhard name has plenty of pull, and Ryan will need that boost if he hopes to carry on his basketball career. His senior season wasn’t as good as his first three seasons in college, but Nembhard is still a player with NBA potential.

Ryan Nembhard 2025 NBA Draft Profile

College Career

Ryan began his collegiate career playing for head coach Greg McDermott at Creighton. The younger Nembhard was looking to carve his path away from Gonzaga and his older brother, Andrew. He was a day-one starter for the Bluejays, as he spent his first two seasons in Omaha. He was a double-digit scorer in both his freshman and sophomore seasons. That season saw Nembhard as a major part of a Creighton team that fell just short of the Final Four in 2022-23. Following that season, Nembhard couldn’t resist the Gonzaga call. So, he transferred to the Bulldogs to play for Mark Few, like his brother did. He couldn’t allow the Nembhard name to go quietly, as Ryan had his best season of his career during his junior campaign.

Mar 20, 2025; Wichita, KS, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Ryan Nembhard (0) dribbles against Georgia Bulldogs center Somto Cyril (6) in the first half of a first round men’s NCAA Tournament game at Intrust Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images

He averaged a career high 12.6 points per game while also playing 35.8 minutes per game. The Zags reached the Sweet 16 behind Nembhard’s efforts, along with the likes of Graham Ike and another eventual NBA player, Anton Watson. Thus, Ryan entered his senior season with the Zags during the 2024-25 season. Sure, Gonzaga once again made the NCAA Tournament, but Nembhard’s numbers dropped. He was fifth on the team in scoring. The team also lost in the second round to eventual national runner-up Houston. Nembhard started all of his 134 career games and was a two-time All-WCC player during his time at Gonzaga.

Strengths

Nembhard is exactly what you’re looking for in a ball-handler. He’s an old-school floor general. He averaged nearly 10 assists per game last season and finished his collegiate career with 882 assists. Add in his outstanding passing skill along with his durability, and you have yourself a strong playmaker. Ryan will need to continue to fire shots from deep. He shot slightly over 40 percent from three during the 2024-25 season. That is by far the best of his career, as he made 33.2 percent of his three-point tries for his first three years. He’s an undervalued rebounder, especially at his size. He finished with over 400 rebounds as a guard. He had over 100 rebounds in three of his four seasons. A double-digit scorer every year, Nembhard’s NBA Draft hopes may ne because of his passing more than his scoring at the next level. He certainly has the skills to come in and be a backup ball-handler from day one.

Weaknesses

Like I said, he’s a consistent scorer in double digits, but there is no guarantee that translates to the NBA. Not to mention, he’s not that great of a defender. That’s a tough skill not to have developed, given he played for both McDermott and Few. Gonzaga has always had great defensive guards, besides their strong passing. Nembhard certainly was a great collegiate passer. His size at 6-foot is another limiting factor for the guard. He’s certainly out to try and join his older brother as a key depth piece in the NBA at the least.

NBA Comparison

That’s where his NBA comparison comes in. Older brother Andrew is certainly taller by quite a bit. Both have great passing ability. Ryan has the maturity to be a positive playmaker in the pros. That maturity and passing ability compare nicely to other important backup point guards like Tyus Jones and T.J. McConnell. Both players had to put in hard work to prove themselves, and Ryan Nembhard can do that too. He’s got the experience to stick around the NBA for longer than most. That makes Nembhard a valuable pick, especially late in the 2025 NBA Draft.