Gonzaga point guard Ryan Nembhard, brother of Indiana Pacers hybrid guard Andrew Nembhard, may have played his final college game. With his Bulldogs losing to the Houston Cougars in the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, the senior now has to make a decision on his NBA future.
Gonzaga’s Ryan Nembhard ‘Best Point Guard’ In CBB; NBA Draft Awaits
Declaring for the draft should be a simple decision for a player that Gonzaga head coach Mark Few called “the best point guard in college basketball.”
.@ZagMBB‘s Mark Few on Ryan Nembhard@marchmadnessmbb x #WCChoops pic.twitter.com/clLeAjRP24
— WCC Basketball (@WCChoops) March 23, 2025
Just consider that even Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson had to rave about his IQ.
“You have a point guard… but your point guard is not like Nembhard,” he said.
“You have a point guard. They have a point guard, but your point guard is not like (Ryan) Nembhard.”
High praise from Kelvin Sampson for Gonzaga’s point man.
“He’s the engine to the train,” adds Terrance Arceneaux.@KHOU pic.twitter.com/6aWmYKkcqg
— Jason Bristol (@JBristolKHOU) March 22, 2025
But does he .. measure up?
Film Study
At 6-foot-0, Nembhard is such an exceptional playmaker. He has the ability to process the court rapidly, finding the open man in a hair width of time. His passing ability, from his dexterity to precision, is phenomenal.
He can find teammates inside and outside on drives. He’s masterful in the pick-and-roll, controlling the pace and holding the defender’s attention long enough to work his teammates open. His lobs are even on point.
In the 2024-25 regular season, the senior averaged 10.0 assists per game (to 2.4 turnovers per game).
Gonzaga PG Ryan Nembhard is on pace to have one of the best passing seasons in CBB. So far he’s averaging
11 PPG
3 RPG
11 APG
2 SPG
57% TSNembhard is averaging an impressive double double with assists through his first 8 games which is something almost unheard of. He’s also… pic.twitter.com/kFqaV3L3mb
— KJ (@KJ__Hoops) December 3, 2024
Like his brother, Nembhard’s also a fine perimeter defender.
Elite defensive possession by Ryan Nembhard on LJ Cryer #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/fjazgyFMbh
— Edilson J. Silva
(@edilsonbuzz) March 23, 2025
He’s five inches shorter but active, agile, and anticipates his matchup’s movements well. Similar to his skills as a facilitator, some of that can be taught and some of it can’t be. That being said, with Nembhard drawing inspiration from New Orleans Pelicans point guard Jose Alvarado and San Antonio Spurs point guard Chris Paul, he’s done his homework on how to be a difference-maker as a smaller player.
Both Alvarado and Paul are listed at 6-foot-0, making their film great study material if he wants to thrive in the NBA.
Alvarado, who left Georgia Tech ranked third all-time in career steals (226), continues to be a pickpocket. Paul, who’ll one day be in the Hall of Fame, is the NBA’s active leader in career steals (2,700) and ranks second all-time. Paul, who’s now 39 years old, isn’t as quick as he used to be. However, like Alvarado, he was a lockdown perimeter defender in his prime.
Now, Nembhard isn’t a volume scorer as much as a capable one. Thus, his NBA career might be more likely to turn out like Alvarado than Paul’s. Still, the New York native has averaged 19.7 minutes per game for the Pelicans while being a steady rotation player. In 2024, he signed a two-year contract extension worth $9 million.
There are much worse scenarios.
© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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