Ryan Nembhard Invited to NBA Draft Combine After Strong Performance at G League Elite Camp
Every year a select few from the Elite Camp are invited to join the list of 75 players at the combine, which is taking place in Chicago from May 11 through May 18. This year, Nembhard will be moving up alongside Missouri's Tamar Bates, Indiana's Mackenzie Mgbako, Penn State's Yanic Konan Niederhauser, and Lachlan Olbrich from Australia.
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Nembhard's performance in two scrimmage games and strong outside shooting during drills led to his invitation, giving him a chance to compete against the best of the best in attempt to play his way onto NBA draft boards before selections are made on June 25-26.
Nembhard dropped six points on 3-7 shooting with a game-high nine assists and just one turnover in his first scrimmage on Saturday, a game his team won 101-63.
As if those gaudy assist numbers weren't flashy enough, Nembhard hit a game-winning three in Sunday's scrimmage, finishing with 11 points and six assists in another victory. He sealed an invite with his performance in the shooting drills, knocking down 24 of 30 shots off the dribble (80%) and going 19/25 (76%) from beyond the arc.
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Now the 6'0 point guard will get a chance to strut his stuff against the top point guards in this draft class, including Dylan Harper (Rutgers), Jeremiah Fears (Oklahoma), Egor Demin (BYU), and Nolan Traore (France).
Nembhard is the lone Zag and second WCC star invited to the combine, joining Washington State's Cedric Coward, who has committed to Duke in the transfer portal if he opts to return to school.
Nembhard's brother, Andrew, was not considered a likely NBA draft pick heading into the pre-draft process in 2022, but he was ultimately selected 31st overall and has far outpaced his draft spot, becoming a crucial piece of Indiana's roster and leading them to another deep run in the NBA playoffs.
Ryan led the country with 344 assists this past season - the fifth highest total in college basketball history and highest since Kendall Marshall recorded 351 in 2011-12 with North Carolina.
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Gonzaga has had at least one player chosen in each of the last four NBA drafts: Anton Watson in 2024, Julian Strawther in 2023, Chet Holmgren and Andrew Nembhard in 2022, and Jalen Suggs, Corey Kispert, and Filip Petrusev in 2021.
Related: Top Ranked Recruit in 2026 Class Has Plans to Visit Gonzaga
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