Ryan Nembhard Stuns College Hoops: Gonzaga Guard’s 35-Point Explosion Sends Bulldogs to the Final Four

DALLAS – Ryan Nembhard’s road to the NBA officially runs through Las Vegas. One week after going undrafted, the 6-foot Canadian floor general signed a two-way contract with the Dallas Mavericks and was named to their Summer League roster, setting up a high-profile debut alongside No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg and former Gonzaga back-court partner Nolan Hickman. Why the buzz is building • Immediate opportunity: With Kyrie Irving rehabbing an ACL tear until at least January, Dallas is thin at point guard. Nembhard can play up to 50 NBA games on a two-way deal, giving him a real shot to earn rotation minutes before Irving returns. • Elite playmaking résumé: Nembhard led Division I in assists last season (9.8 apg) and shattered Gonzaga and West Coast Conference single-season records with 344 dimes, one of only 22 players ever to eclipse 300 assists. • Chemistry with Flagg: Both starred at powerhouse Montverde Academy—albeit four years apart—providing a built-in connection the Mavericks hope accelerates their young core’s development. • Spotlight stage: Dallas opens Summer League on July 10 against the Lakers in a nationally televised matchup that pairs Flagg and Nembhard with Bronny James, ensuring maximum eyeballs and social chatter. What scouts are watching in Vegas 1. Pick-and-roll cadence: Nembhard’s feel is his calling card. Executing two-man actions with rim-runner Dereck Lively II and versatile rookie Flagg could fast-track his NBA fit. 2. Three-point consistency: The 40 % college clip was on low volume; maintaining that accuracy with NBA range will determine whether defenses can duck under screens. 3. Point-of-attack defense: At 180 lbs, he’ll need to survive switches against bigger guards to stay on the floor in Jason Kidd’s scheme. Family footsteps and Canadian pipeline Ryan aims to join older brother Andrew—an emerging starter with the Indiana Pacers—as the latest Montverde alum to carve out an NBA niche. His rise continues Canada’s point-guard wave that already features Jamal Murray, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Outlook for the Mavericks If Nembhard capitalizes on Summer League momentum and preseason reps, Dallas could stash a cost-controlled secondary creator behind Irving and Luka Doncic—an asset for a tax-heavy roster. Fail to crack the rotation, and he’ll still log heavy minutes with the G-League Texas Legends, honing a skill set built around tempo control and surgical passing. Bottom line Undrafted status hasn’t dimmed Ryan Nembhard’s NBA prospects; it may have placed him in the ideal incubator. A franchise starved for playmaking depth, a superstar mentor in Doncic and a Summer League spotlight combine to give the record-setting Zag more than a puncher’s chance to stick in the league—and possibly surprise in Dallas far sooner than expected.