OKC Thunder: 3 draft prospects to monitor in NCAA title game
OKC Thunder potential prospect No. 2: Gonzaga – Guard Andrew Nembhard
Canadian Andrew Nembhard isn’t the first name that fans of the Bulldogs would consider when guards are mentioned from the unbeaten squad. Jalen Suggs has that distinction as he’s the player likely to be taken within the top three or four selections.
And yet, like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander he’s a guard who’ll surprise and has talents beyond what typically get’s showcased within a college system. At 6’5″ he’s a tall point guard and is a gifted passer with vision. Big man Drew Timme certainly knows how good Nebhard is because as teams tried to double team Timme it was often Nembhard who would craftily thread a pass between the opposition leading the center directly to the basket for an easy layup.
Nembhard made several big plays in the win over UCLA but two, in particular, stood out in overtime. With the Bruins on the fast break, he hustled back on defense and jumped vertically just enough to bother Johnny Juzang (who was on fire – scoring 29 points). It threw off the sniper who missed what looked like an easy layin and the Bulldogs grabbed the ball.
On the very next possession he was at the top of the key and put his defender on skates, calmly stepped back behind the deep center of the arc, and drilled a 3-pointer to give Gonzaga the 90-85 lead. While UCLA did tie the match and Suggs hit the incredible game-winning buzzer-beater Nembhard is a player who you could see NBA teams sleeping on like they did SGA.
In the Final 4 game, he delivered 11 points, eight assists, a rebound, and a steal. In the tournament, he’s averaging 9.2 points, 5.5 assists, 2.0 rebounds, 1.0 steal.
While the OKC Thunder may not be looking for another point or combo guard with SGA and Theo Maledon in the mix, Nembhard is one of those hidden gems with extremely high I.Q. and superior passing skills. His 3-point shot isn’t stellar (yet) as he connected at 33.3 percent this season but his form is fine and if the typical precursor of free-throw shooting is a factor he’ll be fine as he shoots 77.6 percent from the charity stripe.