Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1538407
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 5 13 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M T he improbable became reality for Yanic Konan Niederhauser earlier this summer. Continuing a rapid ascent that began with his transfer from Northern Il- linois to Penn State last offseason, Konan Niederhauser, a 7-foot center from Swit- zerland, was selected by the Los Angeles Clippers with the 30th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft on June 25. The Clippers held the final pick in the first round and used it on a player who averaged 12.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game in his lone season with the Nittany Lions. He became the highest overall pick in Penn State men's basketball history, going two spots higher than guard Jalen Pickett, who was taken No. 32 over- all by the Denver Nuggets in 2023. "Yanic is a talented young big man with great positional size who can run the floor, protect the rim, roll and finish," said Lawrence Frank, the Clippers' president of basketball operations. "He's an excel- lent athlete, and we're excited to add him to the organization." Konan Niederhauser's emergence as a first-round talent was remarkably fast. He capitalized on individual meetings and workouts with teams, participated in both the NBA G League Elite Camp and the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago in May, and ultimately heard his name called in Brooklyn. "Sometimes the path is different for everybody, and the timing is differ- ent for everybody. Yanic took advantage of the opportunities he had here in the last few weeks to get closer to his dream sooner than we all maybe thought," PSU coach Mike Rhoades said. "The way he's handled it all, the way his family and his agency have handled it — it's all been so professional. "We recruited the right type of kid. Penn State is his home, and he's made an incredible impact on all of us. I'm super excited for him. That's why we try to go out and get players like that, so we can help them reach their dream. He's doing it sooner than maybe we all thought, and I'm proud." Last season with the Nittany Lions, Konan Niederhauser averaged 16.4 points over the final five games, played 32.2 minutes per game, and realized the potential Penn State's staff had long be- lieved he possessed. Most notably during the draft pro- cess, his unique athleticism stood out. He posted the top marks at the NBA Draft Combine in standing vertical leap (33.5 inches), max vertical leap (37.0 inches), shuttle run (2.84 seconds) and three-quarter sprint (3.20 seconds). That athleticism reflected a personal identity built on constant development. Throughout his time with the Nittany Lions, Konan Niederhauser showed his capacity to grow into a difference- maker. "I just felt really good when we were recruiting Yanic, that he really wanted to get after it and work. And he really has. He's very coachable. I think that's helped," Rhoades said. "He picked the right place to showcase his skill set. With our style of play, a versatile big guy like him could show what he could do. He made a great decision. "But even more than that … he's shown a real hunger to improve. When he's had good days, he's built on them. When he's had a bad day or a bad game, he's taken it to heart and worked to get better. His approach since arriving here on June 6 last year is the reason he's become the player he is now, and I think he's hungry to reach even greater heights, which is refreshing." ■ Konan Niederhauser Is PSU's First Opening-Round NBA Pick N A T E B A U E R | N AT E . B A U E R @ O N 3 . C O M ALL-TIME PENN STATE MEN'S BASKETBALL DRAFTEES Year Name Rd. Pick Team 1947 John Rusinko 3 30 Baltimore Bullets 1953 Herman Sledzik 7 54 Baltimore Bullets 1955 Jesse Arnelle 2 13 Fort Wayne Pistons 1961 Peter Baltic 9 79 Detroit Pistons 1965 Bob Wiess 3 22 Philadelphia 76ers 1966 Carver Clinton 11 97 Chicago Bulls 1967 Paul Mickey 14 142 Baltimore Bullets 1974 Ron Brown 7 125 Boston Celtics 1981 Frank Brickowski 3 57 New York Knicks 1983 Mike Lang 8 174 New York Knicks 1984 Dick Mumma 10 211 San Diego Clippers 1999 Calvin Booth 2 35 Washington Wizards 2018 Tony Carr 2 51 New Orleans Pelicans 2023 Jalen Pickett 2 32 Denver Nuggets 2023 Seth Lundy 2 46 Atlanta Hawks 2025 Yanic Konan Niederhauser 1 30 Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers chose Penn State center Yanic Konan Niederhauser with the final pick of the first round. PHOTO COURTESY LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS