Star big man to stay in NBA Draft, won’t return to Penn State

Standout forward Yanic Konan Niederhauser will not be back to Happy Valley. On Wednesday, the Swiss-born big man announced his intention to stay in the 2025 NBA Draft, forgoing his senior season with Penn State basketball.

The news was first reported by Jacob Myers of League Him and later confirmed by Jon Rothstein.

In April, the Northern Illinois transfer declared for the NBA Draft but vowed to return to the Nittany Lions if he withdrew from the process. The deadline for early-entry prospects to remove their names from the Draft was Wednesday.

Konan Niederhauser has been one of the rapid risers throughout the Draft process, earning invitations to the NBA G League Elite Camp and the NBA Draft Combine. ESPN currently has the 7’0”, 250-pound big man as a second-round selection in June 25’s Draft, going No. 36 overall to the Brooklyn Nets.

Back in State College, Konan Niederhauser’s decision is a significant blow to Mike Rhoades and the Penn State basketball program. The Nittany Lions have now lost 10 players from the 2024-25 team to the transfer portal, the Draft, or exhausted eligibility. With an incoming freshman class of five recruits, Penn State has nine players on its current roster.

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