Ryan Nembhard transfers to Gonzaga: Creighton star guard offers main enhance for Zags in 2023-24 season

Gonzaga had an enormous morning on Friday, touchdown a dedication from one of the vital impactful names within the switch portal as Creighton star Ryan Nembhard dedicated to the Bulldogs. Nembhard’s dedication got here shortly after Gonzaga additionally added Wyoming switch Graham Ike to its incoming class, serving to reshape what the Zags’ roster will seem like coming into 2023-24. 

Nembhard, a former five-star recruit, spent two seasons at Creighton the place he averaged 11.8 factors and 4.6 assists per recreation for the Bluejays earlier than hitting the portal within the offseason. His dedication provides Gonzaga a second Nembhard to construct round after his older brother, Andrew, performed below Mark Few from 2020-2022, twice incomes All-WCC honors earlier than happening to be the No. 31 general decide of the 2022 NBA draft.

“After all my brother had been telling me for years what an incredible coach Mark [Few] was,” Nembhard instructed ESPN about his dedication. “And it is apparent Andrew was nicely ready for the NBA by Coach Few and all of the employees at Gonzaga the 2 years he was there; he began extra video games this yr as a rookie than every other Pacers rookie has began in over 20 years.

A Montverde Academy product, Nembhard was a four-star prospect within the 2021 class who signed with Creighton over provides from Ohio State, Seton Corridor and Florida, amongst others. His older brother signed with the Gators out of highschool earlier than transferring to Gonzaga after two seasons.

The youthful Nembhard additionally joins Gonzaga after two seasons at Creighton the place he made his mark as one of the vital impactful and underrated lead guards within the Large East. He made 64 begins in 64 appearances and twice completed top-10 within the league in help charge throughout convention play. The Bluejays received 47 video games throughout his two seasons and superior to the Elite Eight for the primary time within the growth period as Nembhard propelled them to a deep event run, averaging 14 factors and three.5 assists per recreation in 4 NCAA Event appearances highlighted by a 30-point explosion in Spherical 2 to take down No. 3 seed Baylor.

Nembhard is the fifth participant to decide to Gonzaga within the 2023 cycle and third to choose this system out of the portal, becoming a member of Japanese Washington combo guard Steele Venters and the aforementioned Ike out of Wyoming. Venters was the Participant of the 12 months within the Large Sky final season and a two-time All-Large Sky performer, whereas Ike redshirted final season as a result of harm a yr after incomes All-Mountain West honors in 2021-22. 

What this implies for Gonzaga

Gonzaga is retooling this offseason in an enormous means and going through extra uncertainty than it has in years. Not solely is all-everything huge man Drew Timme gone, however so too is second-leading scorer Julian Strawther, third-leading scorer Anton Watson and fourth-leading scorer Rasir Bolton. Reserve huge man Efton Reid and combo guard Hunter Sallis, each former five-star prospects, are additionally transferring out.

With Nembhard within the combine, Gonzaga can construct round an enormous identify and confirmed producer whereas, maybe most significantly, stabilizing its guard place. Regardless of constructing the No. 1 offense in adjusted effectivity scores final season, Gonzaga struggled to persistently get high quality playmaking from its lead guard spot, with Timme — a 6-foot-10 heart — ending because the workforce chief in assists per recreation.

Return of tempo

In 2020 and 2021, Gonzaga completed high 10 within the nation in adjusted tempo and high 5 in common possession size on offense, profitable 59 video games and dropping simply 5 occasions behind one of the vital deadly — and quickest — assaults within the sport. That slowed a bit final season because the Zags handled hot-and-cold play from the guard spot. Nembhard’s presence could enable Gonzaga to return to its quick-paced type as he provides them a top-end playmaking lead guard who can distribute, rating and dictate tempo at an elite stage. Creighton has been a recurring slow-it-down workforce, however Nembhard ought to be capable to assimilate to Gonzaga’s system fantastically and play at a tempo he is snug in that may enable his workforce — and him — to thrive in a brand new surroundings.

Continued success within the portal

When Gonzaga nabbed the elder Nembhard out of the switch portal in 2020, it added an eventual two-time All-WCC performer who grew right into a dependable playmaker and outdoors shooter for a Gonzaga workforce that in 2020-21 misplaced simply as soon as all season — within the nationwide championship recreation. Ryan’s presence could not result in that a lot success — Andrew’s success was partly a confluence of success for Gonzaga together with Timme’s emergence and the arrival of five-star freshman Jalen Suggs — however it’s little question on the identical scale of significance. It continues profitable scores out of the portal for Few and Co. that through the years contains Brandon Clarke and Nigel Williams-Goss, each of whom earned All-WCC recognition after transferring in from different colleges.