A Scout’s Eyes: Yanic Konan Niederhauser | A Giant Sleeper in Happy Valley
Could an impact NBA big be hiding in plain sight? Jam evaluates Penn State big man Yanic Konan Niederhauser’s milestone season and what translates to the next level.
With what’s been widely reported as over 2,000 men’s college basketball players entering the transfer portal this cycle, the portal can truly be a cautionary tale. Prospects are rightfully looking to maximize their earning potential while in college (for some, this will be the height of their basketball career), but must remember to balance it with the sometimes overlooked significance of fit and development, both in the short and long term. Amidst the danger and chaos of the portal, there are still a number of success stories. One of the shining success stories from last season’s cycle that bore fruit this season was Yanic Konan Niederhauser and Penn State.
Before coming to the United States, the Fraschels, Switzerland native played in Germany for Ehingen Urspring where he shared time between the youth and parent teams from 2021 to 2022. Additionally, he gained international experience as a member of the Swiss U18 National Team at the 2021 U18 European Challengers (10.3 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 1.3 APG, and 2.7 BPG across three games).
Yanic began his collegiate career with two seasons at Northern Illinois. As a sophomore, he led the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in blocks (2.1 BPG) while scoring 7.3 PPG and grabbing 4.4 RPG (1.6 offensive) in 19.6 MPG (26 starts). In his first season in Happy Valley under Coach Mike Rhoades, Yanic blossomed into a premier big man in the Big Ten. The toolsy junior center averaged 12.9 PPG, 6.3 RPG (2.1 offensive), 2.3 BPG, and 0.7 SPG in 25.1 MPG over 29 games (all starts), including three 20-plus point games and four double-doubles.
Because of his career-best production, Yanic earned All-Big Ten honorable mention honors and growing NBA interest. Per his Instagram, he’s planning to go through the pre-draft process with the option of returning to Penn State for his senior season. Let’s evaluate Yanic Konan Niederhauser’s milestone season and NBA caliber traits and skills.
NBA Ready Play-Finisher
Listed at 7’0” and 250 pounds, Yanic Konan Niederhauser is a MASSIVE human, and it pops on film. I don't anticipate much discrepancy from what he will actually measure during the pre-draft process. Although Yanic might not possess the ideal vertical pop and explosion for a play-finishing big, he effectively compensates by utilizing his frame to operate as a high-level play-finisher with good hands and easy NBA positional size and length. Per Synergy, Yanic shot 67% at the rim (179 attempts) with 65 dunks.
Don't be confused by him not having that ideal vertical pop explosion. He’s still very much a reliable above-the-rim finisher and lob threat that powers home thunderous dunks and can put defenders on a poster. Yanic is also a solid below-the-rim finisher who’s capable of finishing with skill and finesse (more on that later). His finishing prowess shows up and impacts games in multiple phases, actions, and play types featuring pick-and-rolls (88th percentile), lobs, drop-offs, fluid transition rim-runs (95th percentile), dribble-handoffs, and dunker spot opportunities.
Offensive Upside
Already equipped with a translatable offensive role as a play-finisher, Yanic has shown there is still untapped offensive potential. This is where his tantalizing mix of size and movement skills really shines through.
He leverages clean footwork, nimbleness, strength, and functional ball skills into self-created power and finesse finishes from the low-post, mid-post, and wing. Yanic has a lethal drop step to go along with a signature spin move that he loves to implement with his back to the basket and when facing up. He’s excellent at seeking to seal defenders and establish deep post position with that huge frame, then finish with either hand. His positioning often puts him in great position for offensive rebounding chances, resulting in second-chance opportunities and points for himself and teammates.
NBA teams won’t be relying upon him to be a go-to post scorer, of course, but it’s still valuable to have a big who can reliably attack and score in advantageous situations, especially against switching defensive schemes.
Yanic’s offensive upside extends to his shooting. Believe it or not, I don’t want to rule out Yanic progressing as a jump shooter. I get it, it’s laughable to think a big man with a career 21.6% mark from three on 51 attempts has any real shooting potential. Just walk with me here.
Yanic’s mechanics inspire belief that there is a foundation in place for shooting coaches to work with. His form isn't a wreck. It’s fluid, repeatable, and comfortable. In combination with his mechanics, there are touch flashes around the rim as a finisher and a free-throw shooter (career 64.8% FT mark on 213 attempts). Lastly, he connected on 29.2% of his threes as a sophomore at Northern Illinois with glimpses of movement shooting. It’s obviously not a fantastic percentage, but it’s an encouraging data point.
I’m not expecting for him to ever develop into a dynamic three-point shooter, but there is enough there to believe in Yanic having another obtainable level of shooting within his reach whether it’s as a corner three-point shooter, stand-still shooter, or mid-range shooter. It absolutely would be a multi-year path to him ever developing into a capable shooting threat, however it’s worth exploring.
Defensive Impact
There should be little to no doubts about Yanic Konan Niederhauser’s shot-blocking value. After leading the MAC in blocks (2.1 BPG), his 2.3 BPG with Penn State led the Big Ten and placed him 13th nationally. He’s tremendous at employing his size, length, and mobility to block and alter shots at and around the rim, particularly from the weak side. Yanic swatted a shot in every game this season except for one (game four against Virginia Tech), collected ten games with at least three plus blocks, and often made his presence felt with his defensive playmaking (3.0 stocks per game, 2.3 BPG + 0.7 SPG) even when he wasn't scoring. The prime example of that was his seven-block effort against Illinois (five in the first half), where he only tallied six points. Right now, he’s more of a shot-blocker than a rim protector/rim deterrent anchor type.
While agile at 7’0” and 250 pounds, it remains to be seen how much scheme versatility Yanic has and how much, if any, switching could be in the cards for him. Penn State mostly deployed him as a show-and-recover defender, where he was comfortable and effective. Yanic’s enchanting pairing of size and movement skills likely will be best suited for more show-and-recover and drop defensive schemes on the NBA level. In the post, Yanic’s naturally stout frame has the room to add more mature muscle to become a steady post defender against teams with more traditional bigs.
Outlook
Yanic Konan Niederhauser is a translatable play-finishing, shot-blocking big with positional size and a clear NBA role. On top of his clean fit, Yanic offers scoring upside and shooting potential that’s worth exploring. At 22 years old, he’s projected to receive an invite to either the G-League Elite Camp or NBA Combine. He’s one of my top picks to rise during the pre-draft cycle because of his tools, evolving skill set, and projectable role.
If Yanic returns to Penn State, his development into a more consistent double-double threat will be a critical component to monitor alongside any increased signs of a realistic path to reliable jump shooting. He’ll be a leading candidate for both the Big Ten Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year awards. The Yanic Konan Niderhauser stock watch is on, and it’s ready to rise sooner rather than later.
Subscribe to NoCeilings on YouTube: