How Ryan Nembhard to Gonzaga would be a perfect fit

Nembhard is in the transfer portal after starting 64 games the past two seasons for Creighton

Over 1,000 players have entered the college basketball transfer portal, but there’s one player in particular whose last name should be familiar to Gonzaga men's basketball fans.

Ryan Nembhard, brother of former Bulldogs’ guard Andrew Nembhard, is exploring potential transfer destinations after his sophomore season at Creighton. He hasn’t announced which programs he’s heard from, but analysts believe Mark Few and the Zags could be in the mix.   

• GONZAGA TRANSFER PORTAL TRACKER

The Aurora, Ontario, native was an integral piece of Creighton’s run to the Elite Eight this past season, averaging 14.0 points on 47.5% shooting from the field during the 2023 NCAA Tournament. His career-high came in a second-round win over Baylor when he scored 30 points and shot 4-for-6 from 3-point range.

Ryan Nembhard put in WORK last night 💪

His 30 points were instrumental for Creighton, as they move on to the Sweet 16 🔥 #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/mbsDWz42wR

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 20, 2023

While Ryan’s 6-foot frame is three inches shorter than Andrew’s, the siblings bring similar skills to the point guard position. Both are elite at changing speeds and handling ball pressure.

The younger Nembhard averaged 4.8 assists on 2.1 turnovers per game last season, leading an offense that ranked 23rd in adjusted offensive efficiency according to KenPom. 

Like his brother, Ryan is an exceptional pick-and-roll playmaker who processes the game quickly. Both Creighton and Gonzaga utilize a high number of ball screens in half-court sets.

This makes Ryan a perfect fit in Few’s system, which in the past has often relied on a high-level distributor to initiate the offense. There isn’t a player on last season’s Gonzaga squad who definitively held that responsibility, so adding Ryan would fill a hole that hasn’t been filled since Andrew left for the NBA after the 2021-22 season.

College basketball analysts believe Few’s biggest competitor for Nembhard is Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd, who played a major role in recruiting his brother to Gonzaga. Lloyd coached in Spokane for 22 seasons before getting hired to run the Wildcats’ program in 2021.

If Few can convince Ryan to follow in his brother’s footsteps at Gonzaga, it would be the team’s second transfer this offseason. Former Eastern Washington guard Steele Venters announced his decision to become a Zag on April 7.