'I like Ryan Nembhard at Gonzaga to be an All-American'
CBS Sports college basketball insider Matt Norlander has All-American expectations for Ryan Nembhard in his first season at Gonzaga.
Ryan's older brother, Andrew Nembhard, was among the best point guards in the country in his two seasons at Gonzaga, where he was a Wooden Award preseason candidate and an all-conference guard in 2021-22. But Andrew never ascended to All-American status.
Norlander believes Ryan Nembhard can have that level of success.
Nembhard averaged 12.1 points and 4.8 assists on a Creighton team that advanced to the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament last season. He set the table offensively for the Bluejays, who went from 112th in offensive efficiency to 23rd with Nembhard at the helm. There were other key contributors for Creighton as well, which is partly why Nembhard transferred to a program that is arguably the perfect match for his skill set.
Point guards in Gonzaga's offense have typically thrived in ball screen efficiency over the years, an area Bulldogs guards have ranked in the 91st percentile or higher over the last five seasons, per Synergy. With Nembhard as the primary playmaker next to Nolan Hickman, Mark Few's offense should hum behind two capable ball-handlers running the show. Not to mention the surrounding talent in Steele Venters, Anton Watson and Graham Ike.
Nembhard, who was one of 247Sports' picks as a preseason transfer All-American, has a chance to be one of the most impactful transfers in all of college basketball this season.
